Beneath snow-capped Jumbo Peak and the Whitehorse Mountains is Darrington, a lumber town huddled along the banks of the Sauk River. “Tarheels,” North Carolinians and their families who came here in 1914-16, constitute a large part of the population.

Tourist trade brings revenue to Darrington, the last outpost in the picturesque region of the Sauk and Suiattle Rivers, the Whitechuck Valley, and the Squire Creek country.

It was a meeting place for Native American tribes in early days. From there five trails lead into the high mountains. Early names for this place were Sauk Portage and The Burn. The former related to a river portage and the latter to forest fires. In 1891, settlers decided on a name by flipping a card which carried the name Portage on one side and Barrington, the name of an early settler, on the other. Legend says that Barrington’s name was on both sides of the card. That name won, but later became twisted to the present name when a post office was established in 1894.

Darrington is a natural hub for numerous outdoor recreational activities. Visitors can stop at the Darrington Ranger Station or the Sauk River Trading Post – both can provide lots of information about outdoor activities in the area.