It is approximately 50 mi (80 km) long and forms part of the Boundary Waters – Voyageur Waterway. This was an important water route leading to western Canada for fur traders and was also used to transport logs from the Lake of the Woods region in the early part of the 20th century.
Waterfalls along the river include High Falls, the highest waterfall in Minnesota, and Middle Falls.
This river was named after the Passenger Pigeons which were common in this region at one time.