OREGON'S HIGHWAY PARK SYSTEM: 1921-1989 An Administrative History

The State Parks emblem was created in 1957 as part of an initiative to make state park employees and areas more easily identified by the public. The official logotype was adopted for uniform shoulder patches and publications of the agency. The original roadside directional signs were designed by W. O. Widdows, Oregon State Highway Department sign engineer.

The distinctive triangular outline of the emblem is based on the escutcheon of the Oregon State Seal. Within the shield, the legend "Oregon State Parks" is divided by a natural landscape representing the state's characteristic physiographic features: mountains, lakes and rivers. The Parks logo has been modified at various times since it first came into use. The present version was introduced in 1985.