It travels northwest from the Georgia state line eight miles (13 km) southeast of Mentone to the Tennessee state line four miles (6.4 km) north of Bass.

This town is among the highest points in the state, at a maximum height of 1,800 feet (550 m).

The route turns northwest and enters Hammondville, where it junctions with, and maintains a short concurrency with.

It continues into downtown and turns off of its right-of-way, entering the plains of northern Jackson County.

It crosses the Tennessee state line in the unincorporated community of Sherwood, where it immediately turns off of its right-of-way again as SR 56 and crosses a railroad track directly beside a Lhoist North America industrial plant.