The river's source is at the southern end of Divide Lake at the northern end of Narrow Hills Provincial Park[2] in a hilly plateau called Cub Hills.

McDougal Creek is a trout river that begins at the southern end of Divide Lake where it travels south through a glacier formed valley in the north-east region of Narrow Hills Provincial Park.

From the start, the river roughly follows the route of Hanson Lake Road.

Just before Hanson Lake Road's intersection with Highway 913, the river crosses the road and begins heading south-east past McDougal Creek Wilderness Campsite[6][7] before crossing Highway 920 and heading east.

[8] Brook trout were first introduced to McDougal Creek in 1934 and with further stockings in the 1950s and 1960s, the population became self-sustaining.