Tiernan Landing on the Siuslaw River near Mapleton, Oregon, began as part of the traditional lands of the Siuslaw people, an Indigenous group with deep ties to the area's resources, later developing into a logging/rail hub known as Tiernan, named for a sawmill lessee, with its post office operating from 1919-1970, eventually becoming the popular boat ramp area it is today, connecting early transportation via river ferries and logging railroads to modern recreational use.

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There are multiple places to kayak from Tiernan Landing. Here are some historical highlights:

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Sweet Creek: The Siuslaw River and its tributary, Sweet Creek, have a rich history rooted in the Indigenous Siuslaw people, followed by settler-colonization, logging, and recreation; the area was home to then Siuslaw People for centuries, but epidemics and forced removal to reservations drastically reduced their population and cultural heritage, leading to land loss to settlers focused on logging and fishing, with Sweet Creek later becoming famous for its kayaking and scenic hiking trails through the Siuslaw National Forest.

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Duncan Island: The history of Duncan Island and Duncan Slough is defined by the 1877 arrival of George Duncan, an industrialist who brought the first ocean steamer across the Siuslaw River bar to establish the region’s first salmon cannery and sawmill. Named for the Duncan family, these landmarks transitioned from indigenous Siuslaw tribal lands to a hub for the commercial fishing, logging, and dairy industries, with significant diking and channel construction occurring in the early 20th century to support agriculture. Today, the area has shifted toward environmental recovery, with organizations like the McKenzie River Trust managing restoration projects to protect mature spruce forests and vital Coho salmon habitats while maintaining the slough as a popular destination for the Siuslaw River Water Trail. 

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Bernhardt Creek: Bernhardt Creek, a small tributary located roughly 4.5 miles east of Florence, Oregon, serves as a significant marker of late 19th-century pioneer life on the Siuslaw River. Originally known as Lawson Creek after the family that homesteaded at its mouth, it was locally renamed for the Bernhardt family, who arrived at the site on July 4, 1885. Like much of the Siuslaw basin, the land was eventually cleared for root crops and dairy pasture, and it remains part of the traditional homeland of the Siuslaw people, who utilized these waterways for centuries before being forcibly removed in 1860. Today, the creek is a focus for environmental efforts aimed at recovering threatened Oregon Coast Coho salmon populations that rely on these historic spawning grounds.