Sauk
3 - Darrington to Skagit River
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 20 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 13 fpm |
| Gauge | Sauk River Near Sauk, Wa |
| Flow Rate as of 13 minutes | 6980 cfslow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 12, 2024 |
Projects
Beginning high in the North Cascades, the Skagit Wild and Scenic River winds down steep slopes, through forested hillsides and wide open valleys, eventually reaching Puget Sound. The rivers of this system – the Skagit, Sauk, Suiattle, and Cascade – flow through rugged wilderness, forestlands, rural communities, farmlands, and [...]Read More
River Description
This is a great scenic trip and on a clear day you will be treated to great views of Whitehorse Mountain and some glimpses of Mt. Baker. Log jams can be a significant hazard for beginning boaters particularly in the first part of the run so approach with caution.
The run is generally class I and II through a braided channels with rapids that are formed by numerous gravel bars.
The standard run is from Darrington down to Government Bridge but a good intermediate access point is available at the Highway 530 bridge across the river at the Lower Sauk Boat Launch. For a longer run, you can continue on down to the Skagit River at take out at Faber Ferry (either river left or river right).
River Features
Sauk Prairie Bridge Put In
American Whitewater advocated for the improvement and formalization of this access with the reconstruction of the bridge. The launch access road extends under the bridge and is reached from the upstream river left side.
Lower Sauk Boat Launch
An alternate access point downstream river left of the Highway 530 Bridge that has been developed as a formal Forest Service river access.
White Creek Water Access
An alternate take-out access at the White Creek confluence at Highway 530 mile 60.7 just upstream of Government Bridge on the Concrete-Sauk Valley Road Bridge.
Government Bridge Access
Informal access site on river left just upstream from the bridge. A Highway 530 mile 61.3 turn on to Concrete - Sauk Valley Road. Cross the bridge and take the immediate left headed upstream on river left. It is 0.3 mile upstream to a good access point on Forest Service land. Parking is limited and there are no facilities. It is a short carry to the water.
Sauk Campground
Sauk Campground administerd by Skagit County Parks. At Highway 530 mile 61.3 turn on to Concrete - Sauk Valley Road. Cross the bridge and continue downstream on river left 0.4 mile to the campground. A steep trail from the campground leads down to the water but it is only practical for light hand-carry craft. It's not the best access for boats but is an option if you are looking to camp in the area.
Faber Ferry South, Skagit River
For those running down to the confluence with the Skagit River, Faber Ferry is the is the first access point 5 miles downstream of the confluence where the Sauk River joins the Skagit River. You can take out river left or river right. This access is the river left option. At mile 6.9 on Concrete - Sauk Valley Road trun onto Skagit Ridge Road and follow it 0.1 mile through the neighborhood to a drive that heads down to the river. The site has limited parking and no bathroom but a concrete ramp. The site is administered by Skagit County.
Faber Ferry North (aka John G. Young Access), Skagit River
For those running down to the confluence with the Skagit River, Faber Ferry is the is the first access point downstream of the confluence. You can take out river left or river right. This access is the river right option. At Highway 20 mile 93.4 turn at the sign marked 'Fishing Access' for Faber Road. The site is signed for no overnight parking or camping and is administered by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. It has a toilet and concrete ramp.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportWe ran a tandem canoe in late August from Sauk Prairie Bridge put in to Lower Sauk Access take out. Flows were 'below recommended' according to AW, but I saw '1,000-4,000 cfs: Below recommended but still a very enjoyable run' on mountaineers.org so we tried it. It was doable for sure. Only a few bottom scrapes over some gravel bar drops despite picking the more flow line. Couple of wave trains were II-, but class II for route picking and maneuvering. We took riffles slowly as you could not really see rocks unless totally emergent. Main channel always wasn't evident, but you wanted the channel with the more flow so back ferries were used. Beautiful day out! Did a bike shulttle on highway 530 and had a decent enough shoulder.
Ran the Sauk River from Darrington (Sauk Prairie Bridge) to Faber Ferry North Boat Launch (3 miles below Skagit River confluence) which is about 23 miles. Flows were somewhere between 8000 cfs and 9000 cfs I think. On-river time was 6 hours (inclusive of a quick lunch break).
**Beware!**
-STRAINER: Between mile 1.5 and 2.0, there is a large, multi-pronged tree trunk that completely blocks the main channel, coming in from river left. This is a dangerous strainer - please be on the lookout for it - it is hard to see initially. Scooting/portage possible in shallow water on river right. This would turn into a full, 50-yard portage below 7000 cfs.
-Side channels sometimes choked with log jams. Stick to main channels.
-TAKEOUT: I could not find any physical location of the John G Young takeout mentioned in this beta. Unless you're a local with secret knowledge, don't count on using that takout. Instead you'll need to float about 4 miles downstream of the Skagit confluence to Faber Ferry takeout on river right. Faber Ferry takeout is not super obvious from river, and Faber Road is not labelled from SR20, except for a 'Public Fishing' sign. Tracking location on your phone will help. Discover Pass required.
Other than the one sketchy strainer, the main channels were navigable and we had a great day taking in the excellent scenic views and a leisurely float.
Kudos to river-angel.. Vince? for flagging us down after identifying the strainer. Hope you had a good day on your SUP.
Engineered highway stabilization project along on the Sauk River.
Trip down the Sauk River from the Darrington Mill down to the Sauk River access at the bridge.
We took SUPs on 7/4/2020 @ 4530cfs from Government Bridge to Faber South (on the Skagit, Discover Pass req'd). Take-out parking lot was small and hard to find, there's a good map of the take-outs at Sauk County Park - boat ramp. Class I+, small rapid immediately after Govt Bridge put-in. Braided channels on the Sauk had open options, but some channels were woody. Eddylines and boils were interesting on the Skagit. River time was 2.5 hours with a 1 hour bike shuttle with little traffic on Concrete-Sauk Valley Rd.
Wood/logjam river right on upstream side of Sauk Prairie Road Bridge. The remainder of the run was clear in primary channels. We only went to the Sauk River Park Bridge.
The flow at the put in will be approximately one half of the flow reported by the Sauk at Sauk, Washington gage.