The entire length of the highway closely follows the central portion of the former Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad and loosely follows the Amargosa River.

The road parallels Salt Creek and Silurian Lake as it crosses the Valjean Valley.

SR 127 soon runs along the southeastern edge of Death Valley National Park and cuts through the mountains at Ibex Pass as it is entering Inyo County.

The road ends at the California-Nevada border, where Nevada State Route 373 begins.

Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage.