[1] The Beacons Way as originally conceived started in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, at the eastern end of the National Park and headed northeast to Ysgyryd Fawr.

Beyond Ysgyryd Fawr the route drops down to Llanfihangel Crucorney, passing The Skirrid Mountain Inn before joining the Offa's Dyke Path to climb Hatterrall Hill.

From Crickhowell [2] the Beacons Way skirts the mass of Pen Cerrig-calch to reach Cwmdu in the Rhiangoll valley then heads up onto the southern ridge of Mynydd Llangorse which it then follows southwards to the village of Bwlch.

The route then follows a section of the Roman road known as Sarn Helen before cutting off west through the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu national nature reserve to Penwyllt.

The route originally finished at the railway station at Llangadog but was later modified to stop at the village of Bethlehem (51°54′35″N 3°54′48″W / 51.9098°N 3.9132°W / 51.9098; -3.9132 (Beacons Way, western trailhead)).