[3] The White River begins at the Great Basin Divide in the White Pine Range near Ely, where it is fed by snowmelt and springs from Currant Mountain.

It passes by the towns of Preston and Lund, flowing south through the White River Valley more or less continuously for about 40 miles (64 km).

The river channel is dry for some distance, then the water flows again in the Pahranagat Valley for about 30 mi (48 km), from the vicinity of Hiko and Crystal Springs, passing close by Alamo, feeding Upper Pahranagat Lake and the marshes between it and the lower lake (which collectively form the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge).

The channel continues into Coyote Springs Valley (location of the planned community Coyote Springs), becoming the Pahranagat Wash, which in turn connects to the Muddy River and thence to Lake Mead.

The White River system features several endemic fish species:[4] Also named for the area is the White River mountainsucker (Pantosteus intermedius) subspecies.