 Just south of the river, just east of the confluence of the North and South forks to form the main river, the state highway intersects US 19 Business and US 460 Business (Fincastle Turnpike).SR 61 leaves the town of Tazewell and curves to the east to follow the South Fork Clinch River through the Clinch Valley between Buckhorn Mountain to the north and Rich Mountain to the south.The state highway passes through the hamlet of Burtons Shop on its way to the source of the South Folk just west of the Tennessee Valley Divide in the community of Gratton, where the highway intersects SR 623 (Burkes Garden Road), which leads over Rich Mountain to Burkes Garden.