The upper reaches of the River are in the Piedmont, an area of worn down mountains, consisting mostly of metamorphic rocks, overlain by rocky clay soils.

At the Brewer gold mine, between Jefferson and Lynches River, it was deemed to have sufficient reserves to open it with modern machinery and technology.

Lee State Park is located 4 miles southeast of Bishopville is a gateway to the Lynches River.

At Coward, South Carolina, Florence County owns Lynches River County Park, which features nature trails, an elevated canopy walk, Splash Pad, geocaching, canoeing, and standards-based environmental education programs.

As the floodplain widens, the riversides become forested with tupelo, bald cypress, red maple, and other water loving vegetation.

Tobacco is the primary money crop for farmers, but cotton, corn, wheat, hay, and vegetables are also grown.

At Johnsonville, the stream passes what was the largest factory along its length, that of Wellman Industries, a fiber processing and recycling plant.

Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat for the federally endangered Carolina heelsplitter, Lasmigona decorata, a freshwater mussel.