Siuslaw River (North Fork) in Oregon

Trip Overview

A portion of the Siuslaw River Water Trail goes up the North Fork of the Siuslaw River.

We were camped nearby and waited for three days for a break in the rain to do some paddling. On our last day before breaking camp and moving on we had a couple of hours of misty showers and broken sun, so we went for it.

Launched from a county launch ramp called Bender's Landing adjacent to the North Fork Road. This section of river is still tidal so we went upstream with the tide. The river meanders through grazing land and meadows with forested mountains on both sides of the valley, and a few homes visible from the river. We were upstream a couple of miles when it started raining again, so we returned to the launch point.

It's tidal, so check the tide charts before departing.

Accommodations:

Bender's Landing is a county operated facility. Paved parking and boat launch, restroom, picnic tables.

Fees:

Lane County permit. A one-day permit was $3 at a local paddle shop (Central Coast Watersports) in Florence.

Directions:

From Florence, OR east on Highway 126 to the North Fork Siuslaw Road. Up a few miles to Bender's Landing facility adjacent to the road.

Resources:

The local paddle shop (Central Coast Watersports) was very helpful with suggestions. An unabashed plug to visit them when in the area.