It rises in northwestern Gray County at an elevation of 2,835 feet (864 m), as the outflow of several agricultural drainage channels.

For 20 miles (32 km) the river runs due north, before turning northeast near Ravanna.

The river arcs to the south and receives Buckner Creek, its main tributary at the town of Burdett, then flows east past Rozel and through Fort Larned National Historic Site.

[6] This river drains an arid farming region of about 2,700 square miles (7,000 km2) of the Great Plains.

Most of its flow is consumed by irrigation before it reaches the mouth, and the river dries up for periods of months at a time in most years.