The Styx and Serpentine make up a small river system draining a watershed south of the township of Ebor which is on the Grafton - Armidale Road. They flow in a south-westerly direction from the top of an escarpment which forms the western boundary of the New England National Park. The Serpentine flows into the smaller Styx River which continues in a general south-westerly direction through a 200m deep gorge. The gorge opens out, the river passes under the Armidale-Kempsey Road and drops precipitously in a series of falls and cascades into a 500m deep gorge through the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. It joins the Chandler River which in turn joins the eastern flowing Macleay River' The views over the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park section of the Styx, accessed along the gorge rim by local roads and tracks, are spectacular' Camping is available at Wattle Flat (Map Ref. 244163 Jeogla 1:25000 or Carrai 1:100000) and at Hyatts Flat (Map Ret.357234 Hyatts Flat 1:25000 or Carrai 1:100000).
The only trip recommended for the average paddler is Section 3, Wattle Flat to the Kempsey Road Bridge, as further upstream and downstream the river drops steeply in a series o{ falls, most of which require (sometimes very difficult) portages. However, these sections have been included in this description for completeness. See Section 3 for general access to the area.

This section has been described as fearsome, as it drops nearly 300m over the 14km. For the first 5km the rapids are of only grade 3 standard with the exception of 2 major waterfalls. The first fall (30m) occurs 2km from the start and the second (60m) a further 3km on. After the second waterfall the river becomes more difficult with some rapids approaching grade 5. Portages are required around a number of falls.