After passing the unincorporated community of Gass in Dade County, which is located in the extreme northwest corner of the state of Georgia (see map), the route descends from about 1,600 feet down to under 1,000 feet elevation via two switchback turns as it approaches Trenton, the county seat.

As it passes through Trenton, SR 136 crosses I-59, and then ascends Lookout Mountain via switchbacks outside of Trenton in a southerly direction up to an elevation of about 2,000 feet near the western border of Cloudland Canyon State Park, and cuts around the state park and across the mountain into Walker County.

Just after crossing into Walker County, the route makes a sharp turn to the north and descends yet again down to an elevation of about 1,000 feet, then heads back east.

[1][4][5] SR 136 meanders in a southeasterly direction, then intersects US 27/SR 1 just north of LaFayette, is co-signed with these two routes south through LaFayette, then splits off and runs east in the direction of the unincorporated community of Villanow, briefly turning north and forming part of the western border of the Chattahoochee National Forest, then heading south to find passable valleys, before cutting east through the national forest area.

There, the route shifts southeast, enters Pickens County, then turns back to the east as it approaches Talking Rock, crossing SR 5/SR 515 just west of the town.

[1][4][5] SR 136 now curves through the southern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, gradually turning in a northeasterly direction, and crosses into Dawson County where it is also known as Gold Creek Highway.

There, it again resumes a more southeasterly route as it becomes briefly concurrent with SR 183 south of Amicalola Falls State Park.

Continuing southeast, it passes north of Dawsonville, to which it is connected via a former state route spur now called Shoal Creek Road, and crosses SR 19/SR 400.

SR 136 heads into Hall County as it crosses the Chestatee River branch of Lake Lanier, and arrives at its eastern terminus when it intersects SR 60 north of Lake Lanier and Gainesville.

[1][4][5] The Georgia Department of Transportation average annual daily traffic (AADT) numbers for the year 2011 show a variety of average daily traffic load numbers as the route travels across northern Georgia.

East of SR 5, average numbers really drop, going from 1,700 all the way down to a route low of 370 in the western portion of Dawson County.

[7][8] The decade ended with the path of SR 53 west of Calhoun shifted to the south.

[8][9] In 1930, the portion of SR 2 from approximately Naomi to Villanow had a completed semi hard surface.

[19][20] The year ended with SR 2 being extended north-northwest to US 11/SR 58 in Trenton, with the eastern part under construction.

[25][25] Around the middle of the year, the portion of SR 154 from northeast of Jasper to northwest of Dawsonville was under construction.

Two portions of SR 136 were hard surfaced: from north-northeast of Jasper to northeast of Dawsonville and from west-southwest of Murrayville to northwest of Gainesville.

[37][38] By the end of 1960, the entire segment of SR 143, from the Alabama state line to Calhoun, was paved.

[38][39] By the time 1963 ended, SR 136, from US 19/SR 9 northeast of Dawsonville to west-southwest of Murrayville, had completed grading, but was not surfaced.

[47][48] In 1980, SR 136's two segments were connected, closing the gap from northwest of Talking Rock to northeast of Jasper.

[2][3] Between 1946 and early 1948, this segment of SR 143 had a "sand clay, top soil, or stabilized earth" surface.