SR 473 is marked as a spur of SR 73, but while the road itself continues to roughly intersect with that route in Fort Apache, it is not numbered beyond Hawley Lake and therefore does not connect to its parent at all.

The southern terminus of the highway is located at the Hawley Lake Dam.

It continues to the northwest before going through a series of hairpin turns before heading towards the east.

The highway curves back to the north as it reaches its northern terminus at SR 260.

Portions of the highway are seasonally closed due to the road becoming impassable during winter weather.