Artifact Creek's watershed covers 42.5 km2 (16.4 sq mi) and is entirely in Mount Edziza Provincial Park.

[1][9] Artifact Creek originates near Kitsu Peak, about 30 km (19 mi) south of Mount Edziza.

[2][10] The north side of Artifact Creek is bounded by a 180 m-thick (590 ft) sequence of lava flows belonging to the Armadillo Formation of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex.

A single 9 m-thick (30 ft) ash flow deposit also belonging to the Armadillo Formation is exposed on the south side of Artifact Creek.

Along the north side of Artifact Creek are two poorly exposed, low, northeasterly trending ridges of trachybasalt that may be intrusions linked to the Little Iskut conduit system.