It is located 12 km (7 mi) from the town of La Palma at a height of 2,730 m (8,957 ft) above sea level, and is the highest point in Salvadoran territory and the third from Honduras.

Cerro El Pital is in the middle of a cloud forest that has an average annual temperature of 10 °C (50 °F).

[2][failed verification] It is one of the most popular tourist draws in El Salvador, with great biodiversity in a wide altitudinal range containing many endangered species of flora and fauna.

The cloud forest has some of the rarest plants and animals in the country, including quetzals and other endangered species.

On 13 April 2004, much of the mountain was blanketed by an accumulation of hail during a storm, an unusual event that caused a commotion among the local community.