South of Lake Como on Highway 93 lies the town of Darby. Darby originated when James Darby built a cabin and started a post office. Later, he added a grocery and general store, as people came to get their mail and needed other supplies. Originally the settlers voted to name the town Harrison after the then President Benjamin Harrison, but this name was not accepted by the U.S. Postal Service because another Harrison, Montana already existed. In 1888, James Darby named the town for himself after consulting its inhabitants.

While in Darby stop in the first building in Montana to have electricity and an elevator, The Historic Ranger Station & Visitor Center. Built in the 1930s and designed in the French Prison tradition to look imposing, this former Forest Service Administration building is located on Main Street and houses a wealth of artifacts from the 1940s.