El Toro Hike

Couldn’t hike it! It’s private property with a locked gate.

**Illegal hike, private property alert**
There is a once annual hike to the top. I did not realize this and tried to find an access point where there were no «private property» signs. I went to West Dunne Ave. but the gate another reviewer mentioned was shut. I parked my car down the street and tried a dirt trail across from the gate, but after 15 minuts of scrambling up what turned out to be not a «real» trail I turned around, with one tick and thankfully no injuries. After googling some more I learned that this hike is private property.
Unfortunately, there was no hike in 2012 (
) because of property rights issues and I can’t find any news for 2013. I wonder if there is a different legal trail near by that doesn’t go to the peak? I wish I could find more information.

You can also access through the end of the West Hills Church parking lot. No guarantee that the gate will stay unlocked while you are parked up there but you can also park at the bottom of the gate. This is a little bit easier of a route for people trying this the first time. The trail is south facing and meets up with the eastern facing trail before the final ascent. This hike kicks my ass every time but I love it!

We hiked El Toro (The Bull) in Morgan Hill Sat. April 5, 2008. It’s an Annual Event, but only open 1 day a year.
We had to meet up at 7:45AM at the Morgan Hill Library. Since I live in Fremont it takes 47 min to get there. It’s a new library at 660 West Main Avenue, Morgan Hill. Glad they opened up the bathrooms for us. That was very nice. Women’s had 4 stalls & sinks. Nice & clean.
I signed my friends & I up. They use the names & address to send notice for future El Toro hikes.
They had coffee & muffins before the hike. That was cool.
There was a short talk by local geologist Peter Anderson, he mentioned that when we start seeing Limestone & Chert you near the top.
We soon started hiking to El Toro. You go through residential neighborhoods and then someone’s gate. The road is paved all that way, then climbing up to dirt path. There’s lots more climbing (1,000′) to the top.
The Boy Scouts have cut steeps up to the top & put up rope. Only on the Right side is rope. There was a long line of people going up like at Half Dome, but much easier than that. When you get to the top the Boy Scouts gave a ticket & when you get down to the library again you get a certificate that you «Made It To The Top» of El Toro Peak, elev. 1420.3’
Great views up there. Some reservoir & views of Morgan Hill & San Martin.
Going down wasn’t that fun. Long lines & steep down on the same loose dirt was pretty bad. I should have gone down on the right, but I just waited in line for the rope, but it took forever to get down.
Fresh oranges, cut-​up bagels w/​cream cheese, & cookies were set up after the hike. We all got our certificates if you turned in the Boy Scout ticket & told the person our full name.
Highlights: meeting Tom Mangan from the SJ Mercury Newspaper:
& seeing David again:
Recommended to do at least once. Distance: 1.5 mi ea way. Time: 2 hrs or so.