[Objective] The occurrence and development of landslide and collapse in Yanhe River were taken as an example, the spatial distribution and triggering factors of geological disasters were analyzed in order to provide a basis for disaster prevention and mitigation. [Methods] According to the detailed geological disaster investigation, GIS geological hazards database was constructed, including geographic data, basic geological data, geological disaster points' data and raster data. Triggering factors, such as slope gradient, slope height, slope type, and valley development, etc., were statistically analyzed. Slope ratio, slope type, vegetation, river valley landforms, stratigraphy, rainfall, residential position, road distance were selected to elucidate the spatial distribution of geological disasters with susceptibility zoning by weighted information method. [Results] Analysis of triggering factors of landslide and collapse showed that landslide were found more frequent in the case with 50 to 100 m slope height and 30° to 45° grade. The density of disaster points in elderly valley is 2 times of the mature stage and 3 times of the juvenile stage. Convex and linear shape slopes are more prone to landslides and collapses; the stability of staircase or umbilicate slope are significantly increased. The acreage of high-prone area is 1 664.96 km². The density of disaster points is 0.29 point/km². The middle prone area is 3 102.02 km². with disaster density of 0.10 point/km². And the low-prone area is 3 888.99 km², with disaster density as 0.04 point/km². [Conclusion] Geological disasters, if investigated in a river basin, its triggering factors and the spatial distribution will be more easily recognized. And disaster prevention and mitigation are more applicable taking a river basin as unit.