The route travels in a mirror-image of the letter "J" as it loops through the wetlands surrounding Calcasieu Lake and passes through Cameron, a small community situated on the Gulf of Mexico.

LA 27 essentially functions as two north–south roadways connecting the sparsely populated Cameron Parish to the Lake Charles metropolitan area and is signed accordingly.

It heads due south and, after 11 miles (18 km), provides access to the 9,621-acre (38.93 km2) Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.

LA 27 proceeds north into Beauregard Parish through Oretta and Singer before reaching its final destination of DeRidder.

From this junction, connections are made to such cities as Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport, as well as Fort Johnson in Leesville.

[3][4] The entirety of LA 27 from Holmwood to Sulphur serves as a major portion of the Creole Nature Trail, a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road.

[5] In 2003, the portion of LA 27 from Sulphur to DeQuincy was designated as the Horace Lynn Jones Memorial Highway by the state legislature.

[9] Class "A": La 27—From the east bank of Calcasieu Pass at or near Cameron through or near Hackberry, Sulphur and DeQuincy to a junction with La-US 190 at or near DeRidder.