When driving up the Alaska Highway, you don’t really see much more than some beautiful wildlife and Canadian scenery. However, somewhere along the way, at Watson Lake, Yukon, you’ll find a stunning compilation of signs and plates from, well, everywhere.
The forest was started in 1942 by a G.I., Carl K. Lindley, who was at Watson Lake on light duty as he was nursing an injury at the time. Homesick, he decided to put up a sign from his hometown up. It read: Danville, Ill. 2835 miles.
It wasn’t long before people who were also feeling homesick decided to add their own signs that pointed in the direction of where they were from. That’s when the ‘forest’ was born.
Today, the forest contains over 100,000 signs and license plates from all over the world. It also spans several acres.
Anybody is more than welcome to add their own signs from wherever they are from. There is no policing of the forest, true to Canadian form, the locals just trust that you aren’t going to mess with it.
Even aliens have left their mark in the forest.
So, if you ever find yourself travelling the Alaskan highway through the Yukon, take a stop, and make your contribution to the ‘sign post forest!’
