The river flows over Canadian Shield bedrock through a narrow north-south valley, characterized by a number of small waterfalls and rapids.

At Alexander Lake, the river widens out into shoreline wetlands with shrub and grass fens and black ash swamp.

The park's notable features include numerous small waterfalls, scenic ravines, and fishing opportunities.

The park can be used for recreational activities such as boating, backcountry camping, canoeing, fishing, swimming, and hunting.

[5] Besides Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park and Makobe-Grays River Provincial Park, the drainage basin also includes Makobe Grays Ice Margin Conservation Reserve,[12] a 903-hectare (2,230-acre) reserve on either side of the river around and upstream of the Crane Creek inflow, that protects "unique spruce-topped moraine ridges" and "unique jack pine and poplar communities found on the Makobe Grays end moraine".