Gaviota Hot Springs

What to expect

Gaviota Hot Springs (also called Las Cruces Hot Springs) is a modest pair of pools in the inland, canyon side of Gaviota State Park. It is not dramatic, and it is not hot. What it offers is an easy half-mile walk through oak and sycamore, a quiet soak in mineral water, and the option of carrying on to one of the best viewpoints on the Gaviota Coast.

There are two pools. The upper pool is a rock and concrete basin that the Works Progress Administration built in the 1930s. It is deep enough to sit in up to your shoulders but not to swim, and it is usually the warmer and clearer of the two. The lower pool has a natural bottom and its own small vent. It tends to be lukewarm, with a milky blue look.

The water smells strongly of sulphur and carries sodium bicarbonate. It comes out of the ground at about 99°F37°C and cools as it collects, so most visitors call it warm. Flow is slow, so the pools do not refresh quickly. On a foggy winter morning it feels pleasant. On a hot August afternoon it can feel like tepid bathwater.

There are no changing rooms, toilets or trash cans at the pools. Pack out everything you bring.

Getting there

The springs sit just east of the junction of US 101 and Highway 1, about 33 miles west of Santa Barbara.

• From Santa Barbara: Drive west on US 101 for about 30 miles. The highway turns north through the Gaviota Tunnel. About 1.5 miles past the Gaviota Rest Area, take exit 132 for Highway 1 toward Lompoc and Vandenberg. Turn right at the top of the ramp, then right again onto Gaviota Park Boundary Road, the frontage road. Follow it about a third of a mile to the cul-de-sac and trailhead lot.
• From Buellton: Drive south on US 101 for about 8 miles to the Highway 1 exit. Turn left over the freeway, then right onto the frontage road and continue to the end.

The road is paved and any car can make it. The lot is small. Pay the fee at the self-service station and display your receipt.

From the lot, walk past the sycamores onto the wide trail heading uphill. The first quarter mile does most of the climbing. At about half a mile you reach a signed fork where the Trespass Trail goes off. Keep straight on the Gaviota Peak route, and shortly after look for a small footpath on the right that leads a few hundred feet to the pools. Watch for poison oak along that side path.

When to go

The springs are open year-round, during daylight only.

• November to April is the best soaking season. The air is cool, so warm water feels better, and the hills are green after rain.
• Weekday mornings are quietest. Weekends bring hikers heading for Gaviota Peak, and some of them stop at the pools.
• Summer is hot and dry on the trail, and the pools feel tepid. If you go then, go early.

After heavy winter storms, State Parks sometimes closes Gaviota and other coastal parks for a few days. Check the park’s alerts page before a long drive.

Rules and etiquette

• Day use only. The park is open from 7 am to sunset, and the trailhead gate closes at sunset. No camping at the springs.
• Pay the parking fee. Hiking groups in 2025 listed $2 per car, cash only, at the trailhead lot.
• Swimsuits required. California state park rules ban nudity outside designated areas, and none is designated here.
• No soap or shampoo in the pools. The flow is slow, and residue lingers.
• Dogs. State Parks lists dogs as allowed in the campground and day-use areas, not on the beach. The trail is not listed, so leave dogs at home.
• Pack it out. There is no trash service at the pools.

Where to stay nearby

• Gaviota State Park campground sits by the beach on the coastal side of US 101. It is a small campground that operates on a seasonal schedule, so check ReserveCalifornia for open dates before you plan around it.
• Refugio State Beach and El Capitan State Beach, further east along US 101 toward Santa Barbara, have larger campgrounds near the ocean.
• Buellton, about 8 miles north on US 101, has hotels, restaurants and gas. Solvang is a few minutes beyond it.

Safety notes

• Mountain lions live in these hills, and the park posts warnings. Hike in a group if you can, keep children close, and do not run if you see one.
• Poison oak grows along the side path to the pools and around the canyon. Learn to recognize it and wash skin and clothes afterward.
• Water quality. The pools are small with little circulation. Keep your head out of the water and skip a soak if you have open cuts.
• Heat on the trail. The climb is short but exposed in places. Carry water in summer.
• Car break-ins. Leave nothing visible in your car at the trailhead.

History

People knew this spring long before any road reached it. During the Mexican era it lay within Rancho Las Cruces, and by 1880 a tavern near Las Cruces advertised the springs for their supposed medicinal value. The upper pool dates from Works Progress Administration work in the 1930s. For much of the 20th century the Hollister Estate Company owned the land, and the pools had a reputation as a messy party spot in the 1960s and 1970s. Today they are part of the state park, and staff and volunteers maintain the trail and pools.

Nearby stops worth adding

If you have energy left, continue up the same trail to Gaviota Peak. It is about 3.1 miles from the trailhead to the 2,458-foot summit in Los Padres National Forest, with wide views over the coast and the Santa Barbara Channel. Hikers often loop back down on the Trespass Trail. Down on the coast side, Gaviota Beach is a small cove under a tall railroad trestle, good for a walk after the hike.