The southern portion of SR 271 begins at an interchange with US 101 in the community of Cummings. SR 271 winds through the forest, paralleling US 101 and intersecting it twice on its northwest journey. The highway eventually comes into the southern area of Leggett, where SR 271 comes to another grade-separated interchange with US 101. The road continues north, paralleling US 101 to the west, and passing through the Drive-Thru Tree Park. The southern segment of SR 271 terminates at SR 1 in Leggett.