The trail extends from Shagroy Road in Millerton, New York, north along the ridgecrest of the southern Taconic Range and the border of New York and Massachusetts, and ends north of the Catamount Ski Area on Massachusetts Route 23 700 feet (210 m) east of the New York border in Egremont, Massachusetts.

The trail, marked with white blazes, follows a series of high, open summits and ridgeline overlooking the Hudson River Valley to the west.

Overnight camping is allowed on the trail at designated locations on Alander Mountain and at the Copake Falls Campground in Taconic State Park.

Features along the route include the summits of Brace Mountain, Alander Mountain, Sunset Rocks, Mount Fray, and perhaps Massachusetts' most famous waterfall, Bash Bish Falls.

In 2015, the South Taconic Trail Extension was completed, a six-mile section of trail that connects Brace Mountain to Rudd Pond State Park to the South.