Formed by runoff from the D'Aguilar Range, the Caboolture River rises below Campbells Pocket near Ocean View and flows generally east, joined by two minor tributaries and flowing through Rocksberg, Caboolture and Morayfield before entering Deception Bay, part of Moreton Bay, south of Beachmere.

[6] Increased urbanisation in the catchment is posing a significant environmental threat to the river, particularly land clearing which is fragmenting pockets of forest.

[1] The Kabi people harvested bush food, fresh water mussels, oysters, fish, and some game animals, moving around the land to take best advantage of seasonally-available produce.

Because of the numerous shoals at its mouth the explorer John Oxley originally named the waterway the Deception River in 1823.

[9] The Caboolture River has been used to transport red cedar timber via raft from Mount Mee to Deception Bay.