The surficial geology in the creek's vicinity mainly consists of Wisconsinan Till, alluvium, bedrock, and wetlands.

Hop Bottom Creek begins in an unnamed lake near Pennsylvania Route 706 in Bridgewater Township.

It then turns in a south-southwesterly direction for more than a mile, approaching Pennsylvania Route 167 (which it crosses a number of times) and entering Brooklyn Township.

Here, it turns southeast for several tenths of a mile, entering Hop Bottom and crossing Pennsylvania Route 167 for the last time.

At this point, it turns east-northeast, reentering Lathrop Township and reaching its confluence with Martins Creek.

[7] The headwaters of Hop Bottom Creek are in a beaded valley, with alternating broad and narrow segments.

[8] The surficial geology along the lower reaches of Hop Bottom Creek mainly consists of alluvium.

[9] The surficial geology in the creek's headwaters is fairly similar, but there is no alluvium above Lake Chrisann, only Wisconsinan Till.

[10] A mitigation bank project on Hop Bottom Creek and some of its unnamed tributaries was proposed in 2015.

[2] The mouth of the creek is in the United States Geological Survey quadrangle of Hop Bottom.

[5] This variant name appears in a 1981 highway map of Susquehanna County, created by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

[17] A concrete tee beam bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 167 over Hop Bottom Creek was built in Bridgewater Township in 1939 and is 30.8 feet (9.4 m) long.

A steel stringer/multi-beam or girder bridge carrying State Route 2015 over Hop Bottom Creek was built in 1945 and was repaired in 1993.

A two-span concrete tee beam bridge carrying State Route 2024 over the creek was built in that township in 1947 and is 65.0 feet (19.8 m) long.

A two-span prestressed box beam or girders bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 167 was constructed across the creek in 1961 in Brooklyn Township and is 66.9 feet (20.4 m) long.

A prestressed box beam or girders bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 167 across the creek was built in Hop Bottom in 1962 and is 43.0 feet (13.1 m) long.

A prestressed box beam or girders bridge carrying T554/Quicks Hill Road over the creek was built 1.1 miles (1.8 km) southeast of Brooklyn in 1969 and is 32.2 feet (9.8 m) long.