We know National Parks have big welcome signs, and of course there are signs telling people when they drive into a new state across America. In Upstate New York, I look forward to seeing the iconic brown-and-yellow road signs welcoming drivers to the Adirondack Park; it’s the first sign that I’m one inch closer to my favorite places in New York State. There are dozens of “Entering Adirondack Park” signs, shaped like the park, and all the road signs throughout the park are also brown and yellow. I took a deep dive into the history of the road signs in the Adirondacks, how they came to be, and why they’re all brown and yellow.
The Beginning Of The Adirondack Park
Some quick background on this region. The Adirondack Park was formed back in 1892 by the New York State Legislature. The goal was to protect the area’s water resources and forestry. Those 6 million acres that make up the Adirondacks make it the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States. That’s bigger than Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Everglades National Parks combined!
New York State currently owns about 2.6 million acres, and the remaining 3.4 million acres are devoted to agriculture, forestry, and open space recreation.
While the park was established in 1892, there wasn’t a clear sign indicating when visitors entered the park. Unlike National or State Parks, there are no entrance fees, and the park doesn’t close at night, so people sometimes couldn’t tell whether they were in or out of the park. Yet it wasn’t until the 1920s that the State developed the park-shaped “Entering Adirondack Park” signs, which popped up as a standard way to mark the park’s vast borders.
Enter “Entering Adirondack Park” Signs
By now, you know there are dozens of “Entering Adirondack Park” signs all around the park. Beyond that, signs that designate trails, camping areas, ski areas, as well as street signs are also yellow on brown. That decision was made back in the 1970s, according to documents from the Transportation Research Board.
According to this study, the New York State Department of Transportation weighed the idea of changing road and street signs within the park to match the traditional Adirondack color scheme. The State had to make sure the color scheme would perform as well as the standard white-on-green signs. They had to consider legibility, visibility, and (arguably the most important factor) public opinion. The ultimate goal was to make sure the park remained “forever wild.”
The study concluded:
- All three sign-color combinations exceeded the standard legibility threshold in daylight.
- A large majority of drivers surveyed in the park favored switching to yellow-on-brown signage.
- Overall, a broader adoption of yellow-on-brown informational signs would give Adirondack Park highways a more aesthetic look without compromising safety or driver convenience.
Thanks to the detailed research conducted by the State, the Federal Highway Administration approved a variance in 1978 allowing yellow-on-brown signs in the Adirondack Park.
See More: Conquering Cascade and Porter: Two Adirondack High Peaks in one day
Where Are The Signs Made?
The designation was made back in the ’70s, but those signs continue to be manufactured within the Adirondack Park. When you pull up to your campsite or get ready to hike at a trailhead, odds are the sign designating that area was made in Northville, New York, at the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Emily Russell from North Country Public Radio met with the shop’s supervisor to learn about how his team makes these signs. She reports the team makes thousands of signs by hand every year, utilizing local lumber. Once they get approval from the State, the team cuts and sands the pieces of wood, then carves words into the sign.
The signs are painted, then the team takes yellow vinyl letters, numbers, and even map icons to adhere them to each sign.
Another great piece I found while doing my research was from Adirondack Life. Steff Obkirchner catalogued all the “Entering Adirondack Park” signs along the border of the park. You can scroll through and check out all the signs in the article here.
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Sign Shopping
Those brown and yellow signs became such a symbol of the Adirondacks that many people want to take that magic home with them. There are plenty of small businesses crafting those signs and selling them to ADK fans.
I did some research (see: online shopping) and found some businesses selling their own recreations of the iconic sign:
- Dartbrook Rustic: sells trail signs, entering park signs, as well as custom-made signs. Located in Keene, NY, and made in the Adirondacks!
- Rooted In Upstate: sells entering park signs. Located in Upstate New York State.
- Adirondack Jim’s: provides custom-made sign services. There’s a whole product gallery showing all the “Entering Adirondack Park” signs made by this business. Located in Upstate New York.
Hope you enjoyed this fun dive into a sliver of history of the Adirondacks! I absolutely love exploring this park (as many of my readers already know). So when I can’t physically be in the Adirondacks, I love learning about the park. If you want to learn more with me, subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss my next history lesson.