It flows over the Muskox Rapids, takes in the left tributary Contwoyto River, and heads east through the Heywood Range.

Like the Coppermine, Hood, Dubawnt or Kazan, which are other large rivers in this part of Canada, it is navigable only by experienced canoeists because of the numerous and challenging 83 rapids.

[13] On abandoning their ships to the ice, the remaining members of Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to map a Northwest Passage set out for the Back River but did not survive.

A British group of four young men was led by Robert Cundy, who wrote a book about their descent called Beacon Six.

An American group of four led by Austin Hoyt started at the source of the river, Sussex Lake, with two cedar canvas canoes.

Over the course of 17 months in 1963–1965, anthropologist Jean Briggs did field research with the Utkusiksalinmiut Inuit living at the opening of Back River and Chantrey Inlet, resulting in her work Never in Anger, as well as helping to compile an Utkuhiksalik dictionary.

[17] Like other areas in Northern Canada, Back River is subject to very cold weather and a persistent Arctic wind that gusts up to gale force.

The Back River constitutes a long and difficult voyage,[18] taking over a month of hard work by strong and experienced Arctic (duo) canoeists.

At the end of the trip, a bush plane can be called in from Baker Lake in Nunavut for a landing in a prearranged spot in the tundra.

The river can also be travelled to its end, where a boat tow can be arranged to the Inuit community of Gjoa Haven, which has commercial air service back to Yellowknife.