The byway connects the mountain towns of Lake City, Ouray, and Silverton.

The Alpine Loop connects with the San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway at Ouray and Silverton.

The Alpine Loop is generally considered to begin and end at Lake City.

The clockwise circuit starting with Cinnamon Pass generally puts the vehicle on the inside "lane" of the mountainous portions with the driver on the outside, providing a better view of the relative position of the vehicle and the outer edge of the road at the top of the drop-off.

[3] The counter-clockwise direction is preferable for less powerful 4-wheel drive vehicles that may have a difficult time ascending steep sections on the western portion of Engineer Pass.