Gaviota Hot Springs
Gaviota Park Boundary Road
Goleta, CA 93117
Trailhead coordinates: 34.504598, -120.2259
Dog-Friendly: No Kid-Friendly: Yes
Hike: 1 mile out & back Level: Easy
Parking fee: $2
The town of Goleta carries many secrets through the old, beaten paths. Besides the impressive wind caves in this area, there are also natural hot springs that are only a hop & skip from the trailhead!
The Gaviota Hot Springs are less than a mile hike through a shaded trail. The springs are a light, milky blue with smells of sulfur permeating from them. Don’t be turned off by the smell as it’s totally natural and what gives them their healing powers! Years back someone created the small bathouse we see today with cement to create the pool we can enjoy today.
We did this hike in the summer when temperatures were high. Thankfully the shaded trees and short distance makes this a favorable hike all year long. Just head our in the morning or evening to avoid the heat or go in cooler months.
There’s a really cool canopy area you will have to hike through in order to get to the springs:
We had the lovely hot spring all to ourselves!
This looked like sapote fruit growing in the trees above!