[10] The forest has 18 kilometers (11 mi) of trails, an observation tower, two natural swimming pools (Spanish:"charcos"), camping and picnic areas, nine rivers, and numerous creeks and waterfalls.

[11] The forest spans areas within the municipalities of Ponce, Jayuya, Orocovis, Ciales, and Juana Díaz, and consists of seven non-contiguous tracts of land.

In 1876, Spanish King Alfonso XII of Spain issued the first proclamation for the creation of forest reserves in Puerto Rico.

[15][21] The lower elevations of Toro Negro used to be important coffee-producing plantations, however, the entire forest is especially critical for water and soil conservation.

[32] In January 1999, a bill in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives sought to increase the size of the protected area by unifying the Toro Negro, Guilarte, and Pueblo de Adjuntas State Forests.

[33] In a March 2008 study by its International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture classified Toro Negro State Forest as a Commonwealth of Puerto Rico forest of "Status 2", s status it defines as "an area having permanent protection from conversion of natural land cover and a mandated management plan in operation to maintain a primarily natural state, but which may receive use or management practices that degrade the quality of existing natural communities".

[35] Toro Negro is located in the central mountainous region of Puerto Rico and it has a total area of 8,203.6977 cuerdas (3,224.3778 ha; 7,967.6110 acres).

[39][40] Cerro de Punta 1,338 meters (4,390 ft), the highest peak in Puerto Rico, is located in the western section of the forest and the lowest elevation is found at the south edge of the forest near Salto de Inabón (Inabón Falls), an altitude of approximately 440 meters (1,440 ft).

The palm forest is distinguishable at a great distance by the form and size of leaves and by the general pale green color of the foliage.

The physical effect of the wind is much reduced; the shrubs are neither bent nor shorn to an even surface, but are essentially erect and their crowns are rounded and uneven in outline.

The mosses are reduced to a thin mantle on the more sheltered trunks and are absent in many places, while the great mats of Selaginella are completely lacking.

Río Toro Negro - after which the forest is named - separates the municipalities of Ciales and Orocovis; it also forms Lago El Guineo.

[2] The fern Thelypteris inabonensis, endemic to this forest and found only at the headwaters of Rio Inabon and at the Toro Negro's Cerro Rosa in Ciales, has been identified by the U.S.

[44] Some of the more common trees are: tabonuco (Dacryodes excelsa), ausubo (Manilkara bidentata), jagüilla (Magnolia portoricensis), nuez moscada (Ocotea moschata), granadillo (Buchenavia capitata), maga (Montezuma speciosissima), higüerillo (Vitex divaricata), almedrón (Prunus occidentalis) and jácana (Pouteria multiflora).

Some of the species that were introduced to this forest are mahoe (Hibiscus elatus Sw.), caoba hondureña (Swietenia macrophylla), pino hondureño (Pinus caribaea), eucalipto (Eucalyptus robusta) and kadam (Anthocephalus chinensis).

[2] The Puerto Rican parrot (Vernacular Spanish: Cotorra puertorriqueña; Taxonomy: Amazona vittata), a critically endangered species, has also been seen in this forest.

The 13 species of bats living in the forest play an important ecological role in controlling mosquitoes, which not only carry diseases but also harass hikers.

Reptiles include the Lagarto verde[note 2] (Anolis cuvieri), lagartijo pigmeo (Anolis occultus), and boa de Puerto Rico (Chilabothrus inornatus), which is in danger of extinction; amphibians include the siguana (Ameiva exsul) and the culebra ciega (Amphisbaena caeca).

[51] The Small Asian mongoose (Vernacular Spanish: Mangosta pequeña asiática; Taxonomy: Herpestes javanicus), has also been spotted inhabiting this forest.

Fish found here include Dajao (Vernacular English: Mountain Mullet; Taxonomy: Agonostomus monticola) and Olivo (Sicydium plumieri), also known as Ceti.

Some crustaceans are the camarón bocu (Macrobrachium crenulatum), gata (Atya lanipes), and buruquena (Epilobocera sinuatifrons), all endemic to Puerto Rico.

Continuing East another 0.2 miles (0.32 km), the trail becomes uphill again as it connects to the northernmost point of a paved road, Puerto Rico Highway 561, on the right hand side.

From this point hikers make a left to walk southwest bound on PR-143 (that is, "West" on PR-143) until reaching the visitors' area at km 32.4.

[71] The observation tower, accessible only on foot via Trail #3, rises at 3,537 feet above sea level, making it the highest manmade point on the island.

[58] The observation tower sits atop Cerro Doña Juana, Puerto Rico's 11th highest peak at 3,474 feet (1,059 m) above sea level.

[72] The tower is used for observation of the landscape surrounding Toro Negro and, on clear mornings before the afternoon clouds roll in, both the northern and southern shores of Puerto Rico are visible.

Another peak in the Toro Negro is Cerro Maravilla, infamous due to the murders of two independentistas youth at the hand of police in an ambush.

Communications towers for radio, television, cellular and similar systems are located atop each of these peaks and armed security personnel, including police, is on the premises.

The falls are part of the Doña Juana Creek as it runs into Rio Toro Negro at the line that divides the municipalities of Ciales and Orocovis.

[84] It is located at 18°10'37"N, 66°27'0"W,[85] that is, 7.4 kilometers east of Toro Negro State Forest's Doña Juana Recreational Area.