The road passes through small towns such as Toko, Douglas, Te Wera, Pohukura, Strathmore, Whangamōmona, Marco, Koruatahi, Tahora, Tatu, and 10 km off the highway is Ōhura.

There is also an unsealed section in the middle of SH 38, but that portion is not designated a state highway.

A 2017 report stated that sealing the Tangarakau Gorge road would cost approximately $7m.

[1] In December 2019, the government allocated funding to seal the final section of unsealed highway.

[3] The slippery gravel surface in the Tangarakau Gorge is the main cause of the highway's bad safety record.