It flows on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence river, in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, as well as the municipalities of Beaupré and Château-Richer, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.

The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood occurs in March or April.

The Rivière des Sept Crans rises at the confluence of two streams in the mountains behind the Côte-de-Beaupré, northwest of Mont Sainte-Anne, in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier.

This source is located at: From this source, the course of the Sept Crans river descends on 10.2 kilometres (6.3 mi), with a drop of 255 metres (837 ft), according to the following segments: The Sept Crans river flows into a bend on the west bank of the Rivière aux Chiens, in Beaupré.

The toponym "Rivière des Sept Crans" was formalized on February 4, 1982 at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.