Its total length is 561 kilometres (349 mi) and it passes through semi-arid spinifex deserts and blacksoil Mitchell grass plains.

The designated highway finishes just east of Alpurrurulam at the Northern Territory/Queensland border, but the track continues into Queensland for 55 kilometres (34 mi) where it joins the Camooweal Urandangi Road, which runs north to Camooweal.

[3] The track crosses Urapuntja lands, which is an Aboriginal homelands area.

Each year the wet season floods the black soil plains at the eastern end of the Sandover Highway and Alpurrurulam and Lake Nash become completely inaccessible, even to four-wheel drive vehicles.

Woodgreen Station, also known as Atartinga, covers approximately 2,215 km2 (855 sq mi), and is located around 140 km (87 mi) north of Alice Springs on the Sandover Highway.