The 83.4 miles (134.2 km)-long road traverses portions of Smith, Jackson, Overton, and Fentress Counties.

It then climbs a few mountains before coming to a junction and becomes concurrent with SR 262 at a crossing of an arm of Cordell Hull Lake.

They then turn south and pass by Jackson County Middle School before crossing the Cumberland River again and intersecting with SR 53 just north of Gainesboro.

It then passes through Allred it then becomes extremely curvy and climbs a very large mountain to junction with SR 164 north of Crawford.

SR 85 then goes through Davidson (where it passes by the Wilder post office) and some hairpin turns before the road finally straightens out as it enters farmland, coming to an end shortly thereafter at US 127/SR 28 between Clarkrange and Grimsley beside South Fentress Elementary School.