The river rises on the eastern edge of the Frankland State Forest and flows in a southerly direction discharging into Irwin Inlet, which opens to the Southern Ocean at Foul Bay.

[4] The hamlet of Bow Bridge, once a timber milling and farming settlement, is located where the South Coast Highway crosses Bow River, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Walpole.

Forms of environmental damage have been identified at the river and its wetlands, including:[5] The Bow River is listed on the Shire of Denmark's heritage register.

It is significant for the local indigenous people.

This article related to a river in Western Australia is a stub.