the creek, beginning at an elevation of about between pinnacle and gordon peaks in the cascade range, flows generally west and southwest through willamette national forest. in its upper reaches, it receives butte and bruler creeks from the right, freezeout creek from the left, beabe creek from the left, little meadows creek from the right, gregg and mcquade creeks from the left, then gold creek from the right. in the next stretch, green, savage, and galena creeks enter from the left. below galena creek, quartzville creek leaves the national forest and canal creek enters from the right. one of canal creek's tributaries, dry gulch, drains the former quartzville townsite for which quartzville creek is named.