What background color is used on US highway guide signs for parks and recreational areas? Brown. The Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices uses white lettering, borders, and symbols on brown backgrounds for recreational and cultural-interest-area guide signs.
Brown distinguishes destinations associated with recreation or culture from ordinary directional information. Typical examples include national parks, forests, campgrounds, historic sites, scenic attractions, ski areas, and water-recreation facilities. A sign directing drivers toward Yellowstone National Park or a winter-sports area therefore uses the recreational-sign color rather than the usual green guide-sign scheme.
Green remains the standard background for most route, destination, and distance signs, while blue generally identifies services such as fuel, lodging, food, or hospitals. Orange is associated with temporary traffic control and work zones. A related nuance is that recreational signs inside a recreational area may also use brown, while some symbols and information signs outside the facility follow their own MUTCD color rules.