[5] The land flattens out near the Scott–Wise county line, and SR 72 continues northwest and north across the Guest River and past Maytown to an interchange with U.S. Route 58 Alternate within the town limits of Coeburn.

It runs alongside small creeks, passing Bondtown and Cranes Nest on its way to Fuller Gap, where it crosses Guest Mountain and the Tennessee Valley Divide.

Then it continues northerly alongside small creeks, past Darwin to its end at SR 83 at Georges Fork, west of Clintwood.

[5] The road from Coeburn north to Clintwood was part of the original state highway system designated in 1918, as a spur of SR 11 (now US 58 Alt.).

In 1949, the section south of Dungannon was transferred to the secondary system as SR 774, due to its "local character and very low traffic volume" of 187 per day.