Entry No. 17 — the Santa Barbara file — filed under: hot spring

Gaviota Hot Springs (Las Cruces Hot Springs)

A rock-and-concrete soaking basin built by WPA crews in the 1930s sits in a genuinely jungly little canyon on the inland side of Highway 101 — 99°F sulfurous water, sycamores, elderberry, and one naturalized palm tree giving the whole clearing an oasis feel nobody expects four miles from a coastal rest stop.

The move: Do the roughly 2.5-mile round-trip hike from the Gaviota State Park lot up Gaviota Peak Trail to the upper pool (warmer and clearer than the lower one it feeds), soak until the sulfur smell stops being weird, then drive back into town for dinner.

• 📍 Gaviota
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Indoor or outdoor

Where: Gaviota Peak Trailhead, Gaviota State Park, US-101, Gaviota, CA 93117

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · santabarbaraca.com

last checked: 2026-07-20