The Grandstand consists of two distinct mounds of very dark gray rock with a shallow saddle between them, surrounded on all sides by the nearly featureless, light tan-colored clay sediment of Racetrack Playa.

[3] On the south side of The Grandstand, obvious signs of wave-cut erosion are visible, creating a noticeable overhang of 30 feet above the Racetrack Playa's elevation.

While The Grandstand may seem imposing to someone standing nearby, as it rises abruptly out of the flat surface of playa, this outcropping is dwarfed by the height of the surrounding mountains.

It is the light colored clay sediment forming the playa surface surrounding the dark grey Grandstand that creates its prominence.

As with the rest of Death Valley National Park, The Racetrack and The Grandstand receive very scant rainfall, rarely more than 2 inches in most years.

Due to its elevation of 3,000-foot (910 m), the climate at The Grandstand averages slightly cooler than that of the floor of Death Valley; however, daytime high temperatures are commonly above 100 °F in mid-summer.

This road is graded and maintained by the National Park Service and is passable by most autos, SUVs, and light trucks with at least 7 inches of ground clearance.