What to Know About National Recreational Symbols

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Our National Recreational Symbols Compliance – Resource Bulletin will help you understand some of the rules and regulations regarding sign requirements for recreation signs in United States National Parks.

Topics include:

  • Prohibition sign design
  • Symbol foreground and backgroun
  • International pictographic language
  • Links to relevant regulations

Click the image to open this bulletin as a pdf file.

Bulletin Overview

National Recreation Symbols were created by the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) in order to “provide a common, nonverbal language to transmit information to park visitors regardless of their native language.” There are currently 190 symbols that are in use at United State National Parks.

There are four types of symbol formats: Positive, Positive (reverse), Prohibition, and Warning. The Positive symbols are usually a dark figure and border with light background. The Positive (reverse) symbols are displayed in reverse with a brown background and white image/border. The Warning symbols are black symbol with yellow diamond background. The Prohibition symbols are a black image set on top of a red circle and slash.