Their combined waters flow westward to meet the Sandy River near the community of Zigzag.

From its source, the river flows southwest and crosses the Timberline Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) slightly west of Timberline Lodge.

[4][5] Downstream of the PCT, the river runs roughly parallel to the Hidden Lake Trail, which follows a ridge to the right of the canyon.

Sand Canyon and its stream, to the left, enter the Little Zigzag as it passes near Hidden Lake, which is on the right.

[3][1][4] Little Zigzag Falls, a popular hiking destination, lies 0.3 miles (0.48 km) east of a parking lot at the end of Forest Road 39.