Elk Creek is a 19.2 miles (30.9 km) 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 Penns Creek

Penns Creek

Penns Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania in the United States. Originally named "John Penn's Creek" after William Penn's younger brother, it was renamed Penns Creek in 1802 by an Act of Assembly...

 in central Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Via Penns Creek, it is part of the Susquehanna River

Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...

 watershed.

Elk Creek flows through Centre County

Centre County, Pennsylvania

Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....

, rising in a valley between Hough Mountain and Brush Mountain, east of Livonia, and flowing west-southwest through Brush Valley, passing the villages of Smullton and Rebersburg

Rebersburg, Pennsylvania

Rebersburg is a census-designated place in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, before turning south at Spring Bang to cut through Brush Mountain and Shriner Mountain. Entering Penns Valley, Elk Creek passes through the borough of Millheim

Millheim, Pennsylvania

Millheim is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and continues south-southeast to its mouth at Pine Creek, just upstream from that creek's end at Penns Creek in Coburn

Coburn, Pennsylvania

Coburn is a census-designated place in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...

.