[4] The route initially heads to the northeast through an isolated rural area, running along the northern fringe of Watkins Glen State Park to the western edge of a valley overlooking Seneca Lake and the village of Watkins Glen.

After 0.5 miles (0.8 km), the route curves back to the east and rapidly descends in elevation on its way into the village of Watkins Glen.

The route continues on, proceeding southeastward across residential sections of the village, bisecting several blocks of homes in the process.

During the 1952 race, a car briefly entered the crowd that had lined up along the course, killing one person and injuring several others.

[5] The entirety of the old Grand Prix road course was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 2002.