What Was Used To Make This Breathtaking Forest Is Cool On So Many Levels

If you’ve ever seen an episode of M*A*S*H, you’re probably familiar with the very real military tradition of adding a sign post to your base with a reminder of your hometown. No matter how many miles stand between you and your loved ones back home, you feel connected by the totem.

In 1942, Private Carl K. Lindley was stationed in Yukon, Canada, with the U.S. Army to help build the Alaska Highway. While on the mend from an unfortunate injury, his commanding officer decided Lindley could occupy himself by carrying on the tradition in their home away from home.

So Lindley started things off with his sign pointing toward Danville, Illinois, and soon his comrades joined in with their towns. Now, years later, the tradition has grown into a fully bloomed “sign post forest” thanks to tourist contributions throughout the decades.

Street signs, license plates, and other markers from all over the world fill about two acres of the land.

The result is a gorgeous collage of cultures mingling together in the wilderness.

Each one is a charming memento from a passing tourist.

Over 100,000 tourists, that is, according to recent calculations.

Sadly, the original sign from Lindley didn’t make it through the years.

But if you stop in to the visitor’s center, you can find a replica Lindley created in honor of the forest’s 50th anniversary in 1992.

(via Amusing Planet)

The beautiful collection is a must-see if you ever find yourself up north. And don’t forget to bring something to make a mark for yourself, too!