Comments: From desert up to pines, this 12.5 mile road takes you through several ecological zones. From Hwy 74, head south and east. After 8 miles you will come to Santa Rosa Spring. Be sure to taste the water, the best spring water in southern California. Keep a watch over the side of the road, there used to be several wrecked cars pushed over the side. One interesting feature of this road are the signs painted directly on the trees by "Desert Steve" Ragsdale in the early 20th century warning of the fire danger. Continue another 1.3 miles to a fork in the road. The right fork curves back to the west and climbs to Santa Rosa Summit, where you can view the remains of "Desert Steve's" old cabin. This was intact until just a few years ago when it burned down, but the foundation and fireplace still stand. Continue down the left fork another 1.6 miles to a second fork. Keep right, proceed another 1.5 miles to Toro Peak. There will be a bar across the road just before the top where a microwave relay station and helipad once stood. In 1968, a H53 helicopter from HMH-462 at Santa Ana crashed while practicing landings and takeoffs from the high altitude helipad atop Toro Peak.
The wreck site is located in the brush below and to the east of the helipad.
The aft section of the helicopter is intact and is laying upside down about 300 feet below the ridge. There are several radios on the ground below the tail section and other debris scattered over a large area of the mountainside. The main rotor transmission is laying just below the top of the mountain and there are numerous rotor blade pieces strewn all over the mountainside.
This guide is for reference only. Always use a real topographic map, compass and GPS.
