Its source is in the borough of Prompton in western Wayne County, at the confluence of the West Branch and Van Auken Creek.

Water discharged from the Lake Wallenpaupack hydroelectric facility enters the river downstream from Hawley.

The river is a popular destination for canoeing and recreational fly fishing for trout.

It was reportedly where the American author Zane Grey first learned to fly fish.

The West Branch, approximately 21.5 miles (34.6 km) long,[1] rises from a confluence of several small streams in the villages of Orson and Poyntelle in northern Wayne County, and flows south-southeast through Belmont Lake in Belmont Corners.