The highway begins along the northeast shore of
Lake Tahoe in the city of
Incline Village, at an intersection with
SR 28. The highway scales the
Carson Range, a spur range of the
Sierra Nevada, until reaching a meadow that is used as an access for the
Mount Rose Wilderness. Along the western ascent is a view area with directional markers pointing to several notable peaks in the Sierra Nevada range that surround Lake Tahoe. The highway crests the Carson Range at
Mount Rose Summit. The Nevada Department of Transportation has claimed in several places this is the highest summit open year-round in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, . Both the east and west approach to the summit feature
hairpin curves. On the eastern approach to the summit, the highway passes by the Mount Rose Ski Area and features overlooks with views of both Reno and the
Washoe Valley. After several
serpentine bends the highway arrives at an area of Reno called Galena. In Galena, the highway has a junction with
Interstate 580 and
US 395. It terminates at a junction with
US 395 Alt. and
SR 341, which continues towards
Virginia City. ==History==