What is it about the National Park signs that I love so much? Their shape? The lettering? Maybe that they represent that you are going somewhere? Oh, I don’t know. It’s probably a little bit of all of those things.

What I do know is that I find them irresistible. And that I am especially partial to the National Forest signs. That upside down trapezoid-y shape reminds me of the Flintstone house. Don’t judge me.

After a preliminary search on the web came up with nothing concrete, I sent an email to the National Park Service asking what the design history of the signs is. No doubt they marked my email “kook” and put it in the circular file.

Here are some of the signs we’ve spotted in our travels: