Its source is in the borough of Prompton in western Wayne County, at the confluence of the West Branch and Van Auken Creek.

Water discharged from the Lake Wallenpaupack hydroelectric facility enters the river downstream from Hawley.

East of Honesdale, it was deepened as part of the Delaware and Hudson Canal project.

The river is a popular destination for canoeing and recreational fly fishing for trout.

The West Branch, approximately 21.5 miles (34.6 km) long,[1] rises from a confluence of several small streams in the villages of Orson and Poyntelle in northern Wayne County, and flows south-southeast through Belmont Lake in Belmont Corners.