In its upper course the stream flows swiftly in a northeastward course and passes rock outcrops, including the Jeffers Petroglyphs.

It flows generally east-northeastwardly through Brown County into northwestern Blue Earth County, where it joins the Minnesota River in Cambria Township, approximately seven miles (11 km) southeast of New Ulm.

For much of its lower course, it roughly parallels the Cottonwood River to the north at a distance of three to ten miles (5–15 km).

[4][6][7] Common fish in the river include black and yellow bullhead, rock bass, golden redhorse, and various species of darters and shiners.

[6] At the United States Geological Survey's stream gauge in Cambria Township, 0.7 miles (1.1 km) upstream from the river's mouth, the annual mean flow of the river between 1974 and 2005 was 72.5 cubic feet per second (2 m³/s).