It rises in the Ogilvie Mountains north of Dawson City, Yukon, Canada.

Possible (but disputed) evidence of the oldest known human habitation in North America comes from a cave on one of the Porcupine's tributaries, the Bluefish River.

Boaters can travel by canoe, kayak, or raft, though rafters may have difficulty with upriver winds.

A 800 km (500 mi) float trip beginning at Summit Lake in the Yukon Territory, descending the Bell River to its confluence with the Porcupine, and continuing to Fort Yukon is all rated Class I (easy) on the international scale of river difficulty.

However, in high water the difficulty may rise to Class II in Upper and Lower Rampart canyons, downstream of the international border, where the current is swift.