The road passes the ghost town of Sunrise City and several smaller settlements, remnants of the gold rush that occurred in that area.

[4] The highway proceeds north, traveling through several miles of pine forest, in a valley in the Kenai Mountain range.

The original highway connected the city of Hope to Moose Pass, which then took people to Anchorage via the Alaska Railroad.

[2] The Seward Highway was completed in 1951, which allowed travelers to get to Hope without having to transport their vehicle on a train.

[20] The road has an unpaved, gravel surface, and passes several small businesses and homes located in Hope.