The creek flows in a north–south direction on the eastern side of the
Hudson River. The creek's source is
Thompson Pond near
Pine Plains, and it heads southwestward towards its mouth in the Hudson River near
New Hamburg. Along the way, it goes through fluctuations in width and follows an erratic path. The initial of the creek runs through rocky, steep, wooded terrain. However, as it approaches the Hudson it enters the river's tidal range, and has sandbars, mudflats and marshes. The creek is also home to numerous species, and is an important spawning area for
anadromous fish, which thrive in the creek between April and June.
Largemouth bass,
bluegill,
pumpkinseed,
red-breasted sunfish, and
brown bullhead, however, are resident species. Also, the creek is annually stocked with various species of trout for the purpose of recreational fishing. In
Wappingers Falls, the creek forms Wappinger Lake, a man-made reservoir. Some residents and maps such as the 1867 Dutchess County Atlas refer to the creek as the Wappingers, as does the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the National Weather Service, and the Hudson River Riverkeeper. ==Tributaries==