[1] The upper part of this valley is served by the Sept Crans road which goes up from the south and bypasses the Mont du Lac Saint-Hilaire; a forest road serves the south bank of the lower part.

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

The Smith River originates in Lake Saint-Hilaire (length: 5.4 kilometres (3.4 mi); altitude: 657 metres (2,156 ft)).

This lake is located between Mont du Lac Saint-Hilaire (altitude: 880 metres (2,890 ft)) and Mont du Lac à Foin (altitude: 910 metres (2,990 ft)).

The toponym "rivière Smith" was formalized on December 13, 1996, at the Commission de toponymie du Québec.