Located some 400 metres (1,300 ft) above sea level, the road is a popular walking path that forms part of the Hong Kong Trail, and is known for spectacular vistas over Victoria Harbour.

[4][5] Most of Lugard Road enjoys dense tree cover, and a variety of tropical vegetation can be found along its length.

[10] The cost of the entire 2,462-metre (8,076 ft) road, whose construction was made difficult by the "rocky and precipitous nature of the hillside", was estimated at HK$55,000.

Starting from Victoria Gap, the road contours the hillside below the Mount Austin Barracks, being practically level until it reaches a point below Bishop’s Lodge, whence it continues westwards with a rising grade of 1 in 18 to the end of the first section.

The steep terrain made progress slow, and challenges included "numerous dangerous boulders, weighing up to 45 tons each", which had to be removed.

[14] By the end of that year, all that still remained to be done was "a small amount of work consisting principally of bridge decking, railings, and road surfacing".