The 517-kilometre (321 mi) track runs between Birdsville in south-western Queensland and Marree, a small town in the north-eastern part of South Australia.

Originally the track was of poor quality and suitable for high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicles only, but it is now a graded dirt road and a popular tourist route.

[3] Burt set up a store at Diamantina Crossing, today known as Birdsville, and used the path to bring cattle out of the Channel Country to the railhead at Marree that was completed in 1883.

[3] By 1916 enough bores had been sunk into the Great Artesian Basin along the route that the movement of stock was much easier and safer than in earlier years.

[6] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the track experienced a boost in popularity among drivers taking the route to avoid New South Wales and possible quarantine.

[3] In dry conditions, a shorter route at the northern end depicted on maps as the "Inside track" saves 35 kilometres in distance.

The title is a misnomer, as Alice Springs is in the Northern Territory, and at least 600 kilometres (400 mi) from any part of the Track.