It travels from U.S. Route 276 (US 276) in northern Greenville County to US 25 and SC 418 in Ware Place.

From here, it travels west for about four miles (6.4 km) when it crosses the Saluda River and enters the town of Pelzer in Anderson County.

Soon after entering the city limits of Easley, it meets SC 135 and overlaps it for one-half mile (0.80 km).

[4] The first alignment of SC 8 ran from the Georgia state line through Anderson, Greenville, Greer, Spartanburg, Gaffney, and Blacksburg into North Carolina near Grover.

They curve to the east-northeast and reach their eastern terminus, an intersection with SC 93 (East Main Street).