The dirt road begins at an elevation of 4,700 feet and heads towards the summit for approximately 13 miles.

It comes to a locked gate around 8,200 ft and from there it is a 500-foot hike to the summit up a rough maintenance road that passes the former MCI (now owned by Verizon Communications) primary power generator that provides electricity to the summit.

In winter, the weather on Toro Peak and the Santa Rosa Mountains can be difficult.

Snow falls on the mountain more than a few times during the winter and accounts for most of the annual precipitation, with a second percentage coming from monsoonal thunderstorms during the summer.

Toro Peak's high elevation helps clear the smog emitted from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.