Gaviota Hidden Hot Springs

Gaviota Hotsprings

Whether you need to relax after summiting Gaviota Peak in Gaviota State Park, or just prefer a quick, scenic destination hike, Gaviota Hot Springs is well worth the $2 parking fee. From the dirt lot, the fire road trail starts at a state park sign indicating the way to the peak and gains over 400 feet in elevation in a jaunt of just over 1 mile (round-trip). After an ascent under oak and sycamore groves, turn left at the junction with Trespass Trail. Shortly after, you’ll reach a spur trail with overgrown plants heading to the right and following a creek that will lead you to the hot springs. This section is incredibly lush and green, full of California blackberry bush—but keep an eye out for the shiny plants off trail that are in fact poison oak. Follow your nose. You’ll begin to smell the sulfur of the hot springs, produced by geothermally heated groundwater containing several minerals that many believe are medically beneficial. Soon two recently cemented murky blue pools will be in view, ready to welcome bathers. Enjoy a foot soak, or fully submerse yourself in the warm bubbling water before heading back the way you came.

To get to the hot springs, take Hwy. 101 N from Los Angeles through Santa Barbara to CA 1 N (Lompoc/Vandenberg AFB). Take a right off the exit, followed by an immediate right onto the frontage road. Continue for about half a mile to a dead-end to find the dirt lot and trailhead. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View