These classic Maine signs are worth watching for on your next road trip

Maine’s signage culture is celebrated in a narrative that blends history with quirky roadside lore. The piece notes that the state remains one of only four to ban off-premises billboards, a policy stemming from the 1965 Highway Beautification Act championed by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. Exceptions exist, but the landscape is mostly free of large advertising displays. A notable example stands on Lily Bay Road, north of Greenville near Kokadjo, where a sign argues that this is God's country and questions why it should be set on fire and look like hell. Painted with red emphasis for certain words, that billboard is attributed to Great Northern Paper from the 1930s or 1940s, and remains one of Maine’s few surviving off-premises signs.

Further along, a moose-head welcome sign greets travelers entering Kokadjo with a playful marker of population. The essay also highlights Baxter State Park, spanning nearly 210,000 acres and relying on signage to keep visitors oriented in Maine’s backcountry. A summit sign at Katahdin embodies the practical role of signage in guiding hikers through changing weather and rugged terrain. Taken together, these signs illustrate how infrastructure and history shape travel, offering navigation and stories from Maine’s road-tripping culture.