The river flows generally north by northeast, joined by eleven minor tributaries, before heading east and eventually emptying into Moreton Bay.

Its principal tributaries are the Albert River which joins it just east of Beenleigh; Teviot Brook which begins at Mount Superbus and joins the Logan River at Cedar Pocket; and Burnett Creek which is subverted by the Maroon Dam west of Rathdowney.

The river's upper catchment is heavily influenced by the national parks of Tamborine, Mount Barney, Moogerah Peaks, Main Range and the Lamington Plateau, and numerous local government-owned reserves and conservation areas,[5] that comprise part of the Shield Volcano Group of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia.

The Bromelton off-stream storage facility is under construction on the Logan River, outside Beaudesert, as is the Cedar Grove Weir, near Jimboomba.

In 2006 the Queensland Government decided against the construction of a Logan River dam at Tilley's Bridge in Rathdowney due to mounting public pressure and high road diversion costs.

The Mununjali language area includes landscape within the local government boundaries of the Scenic Rim and Beaudesert Shire Councils.

Rosa Campbell Praed, one of Queensland's first novelists spent time at the property and wrote about station life in detail in a 1902 book titled My Australian Girlhood.

[11] In 1905, a 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m) saltwater crocodile was found shot dead floating near the ferry by banks of the river.

[12] The find was preceded by reports of sightings for several years which were met with scepticism because southern Queensland is well south of their natural distribution.

Competitions such as Carp-busters are aimed at reducing the number of carp and hence allowing native species of fish a better chance of survival.