USFS · Puerto Rico

El Toro Wilderness

The El Toro Wilderness, named after the highest peak (3,524 feet) in the El Yunque National Forest, is the only tropical Wilderness in the U.S. National Forest System (NFS). It is located 25 miles east of San Juan on the western side of the Luquillo Mountain Range. The El Toro Wilderness is the first designated Wilderness in Puerto Rico and the first designated tropical Wilderness in the NFS, which contributes to the national goal of a more diverse wilderness preservation system. The forest is also a Biosphere Reserve, an internationally (UNESCO) designated protected area managed to demonstrate the values of conservation. The El Yunque National Forest and the El Toro Wilderness are well recognized as unique locations.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness10,412 acresUSFSPRDesignated 20052 Forest Service sites5 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
El Toro Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
TerritoryPuerto Rico
Size10,412 acres
Designated2005, by Congress
Center point18.29° N, 65.81° W
Night skySome glow on the horizon (Black Marble reading 54)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near El Toro Wilderness60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 62.6°F averageFebruary: 62.3°F averageMarch: 62.8°F averageApril: 63.6°F averageMay: 65.6°F averageJune: 66.5°F averageJuly: 66.7°F averageAugust: 67.5°F averageSeptember: 67.9°F averageOctober: 67.5°F averageNovember: 65.6°F averageDecember: 63.7°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Pico Del Este, 4 miles from the center point at 3,448 feet, station RQC00666992 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 2

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead, 1 viewpoint. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

5 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 8 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Tradewinds Trail ↗5.2
El Toro Trail2.5
Caimitillo Trail0.2
Caimitillo Spur0.1
Roca El Yunque Trail0.1

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historic Site · 21 mi
San Juan National Historic Site
National Register listings within 15 miles · 41 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for hiking across the country

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walks of a Lifetime in America
    Manning, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacker's the national parks coast to coast
    Ted Alvarez, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is El Toro Wilderness?

10,412 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages El Toro Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where is El Toro Wilderness?

Puerto Rico.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was El Toro Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2005.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to El Toro Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 18.291° N, 65.814° W. San Juan National Historic Site is 21 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Which national parks are near El Toro Wilderness?

San Juan National Historic Site (21 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near El Toro Wilderness?

The National Register has 41 listings within 15 miles, including Bano Grande and Baño de Oro.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.