The Kangaroo River is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Shoalhaven River

Shoalhaven River

The Shoalhaven River is a river rising from the Southern Tablelands and flowing into the ocean near Nowra on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.- History :...

 in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

The river rises within the Budderoo National Park

Budderoo National Park

Budderoo is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 99 km southwest of Sydney, best known for the timber boardwalk through the Minnamurra rainforest...

 about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north-west of Illawarra Lookout. It initially flows in a north-westerly direction to Carrington Falls

Carrington Falls

Carrington Falls are located where the Kangaroo River crosses the western escarpment of the Budderoo Plateau to descend to the Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales, Australia. Protected within the Budderoo National Park, viewing platforms of the falls are wheelchair accessible....

, where the river crosses the western escarpment of the Budderoo Plateau. The river then turns to the south-west and flows through the communities of Upper Kangaroo Valley

Upper Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales

Upper Kangaroo Valley is a small village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Shoalhaven City Council. Located on the Kangaroo River, a tributary of the Shoalhaven River, the village is alternatively known as Upper Kangaroo River....

 and Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales

Kangaroo Valley is a valley along the Kangaroo River in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, located west of the seaside in the City of Shoalhaven...

, and into the Morton National Park

Morton National Park

Morton is a national park in New South Wales , 170 km southwest of Sydney.The most notable attractions are the Fitzroy Falls, just off the main road from the Highlands to Kangaroo Valley and Pigeon House Mountain west of Milton. The park consists mostly of a flat plateau dissected by steep...

. The river ends its course by flowing into Lake Yarrunga, a reservoir formed by the Tallowa Dam and situated just downstream of the previous confluence of the Shoalhaven and Kangaroo Rivers. In total, the river is some 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) long.

The river is crossed by the historic Hampden Bridge

Hampden Bridge (Kangaroo Valley)

Hampden Bridge is a suspension bridge across the Kangaroo River, located in the town of Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales, Australia. It is named after Lord Hampden, Governor of New South Wales from 1895 to 1899.- History :...

in the town of Kangaroo Valley.