About Fortson
Fortson is a ghost town in Snohomish County, Washington, tucked into the valley of the North Fork Stillaguamish River along State Route 530, between the communities of Oso and Darrington. Its origins trace to the early twentieth century, when a sawmill operation tied to the Fortson Lumber Company took root here alongside a Northern Pacific Railway branch line running between Arlington and Darrington. The town that grew around that industrial activity eventually took the lumber company's name.
Very little survives today. Visitors who stop along SR 530 will find the former mill site and a pair of mill ponds — the most tangible reminders of what once stood here. The surrounding river valley provides a scenic backdrop, but there are no developed attractions, interpretive markers, or facilities associated with the site as far as the available record shows.
Know before you go
12:38 PM
Sunrise
8:14 PM
Solar Noon
3:50 AM
Sunset
Golden Hour AM → 1:24 PM
Golden Hour PM ← 3:05 AM
🌔
Waxing Gibbous
99% illuminated
Peak Season End
Closes in 64 days
July — July conditions