After years waiting, Darrington may finally get park with river access

DARRINGTON — Since the early 2000s, Darrington residents have wanted to establish a park near the Sauk River.

They’ve had a specific place in mind, too: a 39-acre space locals can currently enter at the corner where Alvord Street turns into Petty Avenue.

But the town needs support to make the plan a reality, Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin said, while walking along the muddy slopes next to the Sauk River’s clear blue channels.

The town of Darrington owns about 16½ acres of the land. Leaders purchased two separate parcels from private owners in 2008 and 2013 for a total of $195,750, with funding from the Snohomish County Conservation Futures program. Seattle City Light owns the other portion of the potential park, about 23 acres, north of the town’s parcels.

“We didn’t have enough funding to do more past the acquisition,” he said.

Last week, the Glacier Peak Institute hosted a “Sauk Park Visioning” open house at the Darrington Community Center. Locals met with representatives from The Wilderness Society, as well as CRO Planning and Design, to share input on Darrington’s first riverside park — a project that wouldn’t be possible without nonprofit support, residents said.

Boards stationed throughout the room displayed information about the park and also welcomed residents to indicate features they’d like to see available.

On one sign, locals wrote they would like the area to have a dog park, river tubing amenities and more trails.

Ben Garrison and his son moved from Everett to Darrington eight years ago for the town’s seclusion.

Compared to some cities along Puget Sound, residents in Darrington are only a five-minute drive from Douglas fir canopies and striking views of the Cascades.

“You’re not daunted by a long drive,” Garrison said.

But if Sauk Park was established, Garrison and his son, now 16, could just walk a couple blocks from their home to an accessible outdoor space.

The park already has a network of informal trails and over 300 freshly planted white pine, grand fir and Douglas fir trees.

Last month, fifth graders from Darrington School District, as well as members from the Washington Conservation Corps and other local groups, planted the trees to improve salmon habitat. Piles of fallen trees and branches in the Sauk River’s side channel also make ideal salmon and steelhead habitat, Mayor Rankin said.

Without a bridge, locals have to balance on wide logs to cross over the river’s side channel before they can get to the main channel. That presents an obstacle for Glacier Peak Institute staff who want to safely take students out to the river, said executive director Oak Rankin, who is Mayor Rankin’s nephew.

The institute, headquartered in Darrington, hosts immersive outdoor programs for kids who live in rural communities. With access to the Sauk River, students could learn about how rivers change shape and direction over time, as well as observe salmon, eagles and other wildlife up close.

“A big piece of being rural is enjoying and caring for the landscape,” Oak Rankin said.

The Sauk River is a part of the Skagit Wild and Scenic River System — the strongest protection for free-flowing rivers and streams in the United States. The distinction complicates the permitting process for building a bridge at the future park, Oak Rankin explained.

Project stakeholders need to assess the environmental impact a bridge may have on the landscape and get permission from the other landowners at Seattle City Light, he said.

Partnering with The Wilderness Society and CRO Planning and Design has helped propel plans for the long-awaited park, Oak Rankin said.

The Wilderness Society is a national environmental organization that engages locals in protecting public lands. The nonprofit also gets involved in initiatives that help residents benefit from conservation, said Taylor Luneau, the organization’s western North Cascades conservation manager.

That’s why, within the past year, The Wilderness Society joined the Sauk Park project.

“Equitable access to the outdoors isn’t just centered around urban communities,” he said.

This month, project stakeholders are compiling the feedback they received from locals and are drafting a plan for the park. They hope to present the draft to the community next month and seek input again from residents, Luneau said.

The Sauk Park project is far from “a done deal,” Oak Rankin said. Funding for park initiatives is a major obstacle in small towns like Darrington.

“Other cities have park departments” dedicated to similar projects, he said, and the town of Darrington’s resources are “already spread thin.”

Project stakeholders hope to receive funding from the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office. They’ll learn about potential grant opportunities later this spring.

Residents can share input online about the future Sauk Park until the end of this month.

Ta’Leah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.