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SCNA TRAVEL CORNER Travel Menu | So Cal Beaches | Hot Springs | Hiking | Other States | Cruises | Foreign Lands |
GENERAL COMMENTS:
Most people - even long time Santa Barbarans - don't even know this beach is here. It is a ways out of the city - 33 miles west of Santa Barbara to be exact, which is one reason why it appeals to the nudist crowd.
You actually have to walk under the train trestle to get to the sand. This stretch of coast is famous for its wind advisories, so more often than not you may actually spend the day wearing a heavy coast instead of just sunscreen.
Facilities: Camping, restrooms, fishing pier, hiking trails food service and parking.
HOW TO GET THERE FROM SANTA BARBARA:
The longer/easier walk:
2. The nude beach section is at the southern end of Gaviota State Beach, past the petrochemical plant.
The shorter/steeper walk:
How to get to the Gaviota Hots Springs adjacent to the beach
1. If you drive beyond the rest-stop to the next exit. You will notice before you get to the next exit on the right a little parallel road the dead ends to a little parking lot that is park of the state park trail. When you exit turn right and drive back down this small road next to the freeway to the end. pay your small parking fee $2.00 and then hike up the trail .5 miles bearing to the right and then looking for the trail sign point to hot spring.
2. In spring, the hill is covered by trees and the trail is somewhat hidden, but it is a nice hot upper basin of water. You will detect the scent of sulfur seaping from muddy/silk bottom of the pool, the depth is shallow aobut 3-4 feet depending on the year. Nice place to relax and you will meet all sorts of interesting people. Typical age group again is teen to 30s.
1. Take the 101N from Santa Barbara about 33 miles until you come to signs for Gaviota State Park.(Be very careful, however, if you are going northbound as you will be crossing oncoming highway traffic!) There is a huge parking lot here. It's a state park so parking is $8.
Park in one of two dirt lots just south of the Mariposa Reina refinery, north of Refugio State Park. Trails lead to beach and the far north end. You will notice cars just pulled over on the south side of the 101 highway. Just pull over and hike down to the beach.