From its southern terminus west of Eureka, SR-36 heads northwest until Vernon, where it turns north.

It continues this general direction, eventually heading more to the northeast, until the northern terminus at Lake Point, where it intersects Interstate 80.

From the junction with SR-73 north to the terminus at I-80, SR-36 is included as part of the National Highway System.

[2] The road from SR-4 (by 1926 US-40, now SR-138) at Mills Junction south to Clover, forming part of the Lincoln Highway, was added to the state highway system in 1910 (Mills Junction to Tooele) and 1912 (Tooele to Clover).

The south leg of the triangular intersection at Tintic Junction was designated State Route 67 by the legislature in 1975, only to be changed back to a spur of SR-36 in 1991 because of motorist confusion.