Gaviota Hot Springs

The hike to the hot springs is decent enough, the hot springs are okay but only luke-warm. The ascent to Gaviota Peak is lovely, but long. The main reason for the 1 star review is the parking system. They require a $2, cash only parking fee to be paid and displayed on your windshield. Not knowing this, I didn't have any cash on me. I figured, hey, I'll come back again and pay $4. Every other hikes I like in this area are either free, or honor system. I came back to my car in an empty lot to find a $70 parking ticket. I'm willing to take fault for this and pay, but the real issue is that CA state parks has outsourced their payment offices to a Citation Processing Center. I tried for weeks to pay the ticket through their website and telesite (zero option to speak to a human), but their system could not find my ticket. I believe this is intentional, as I got a bill from the DMV recently informing me of a new $178 ticket due to late fees, with threat of car seizure upon nonpayment. I'd read other reports of this happening, and I can't help but agree that this is a racket put on by Citation Processing Center, and enabled through the state parks system. Now the ticket is juggled between 3 parties, with no official avenue to appeal. There are plenty of other, free hikes and hot springs in this area. Go to them and don't support this blatant scam. This hike isn't worth it, and I won't ever park there again.

VERY hard to find if you don’t already know where it is. You essentially have to wander into the woods randomly and hope you eventually find the path. I’m not even sure how to describe how to get to the springs, but I’ll try. There is a point along the main trail where you’re in a relatively open area, after climbing about 3/4 mile from the parking area. The path turns back toward the trees (south), then veers left (east). Before you veer left, though, there is what looks like a turnout for trucks, and the woods are down a short but mildly steep hill from that turnout. You have to go down the turnout and enter the woods at what looks like a barely used deer path. After following that path for a little while, you’ll get to a tree that crosses both the path and a small creek (more like a trickle of water that goes down the hill). Go left after you cross the creek (you’ll probably want to go right like I did at first; that takes you on a long hike to nowhere), and the hot springs are another 75 or so feet from there. They’re 2 small pools about the size of hot tubs, smell strongly of sulfur and have a lot of bacteria (according to other reviews it’s harmless, but still slimy looking). Ultimately not worth the effort to get up there and find IMO, but hopefully this review can help someone get there easier. Good luck.

Not a pleasant hike to this spot which has its pros and cons; pro - few people will make it up there. Cons - covered in poison oak and very muddy this time of year (Jan/feb). The water wasn't super hot and it seems like there used to be more pools but despite all that I found a comfy spot with an amazing view and I soaked for almost an hour. My hubby wouldn't even get in tho. The black sediment turned him off. Overall we had a nice afternoon tho but probably won't go back. The hot springs near Santa Barbara was way better. Montecito hot springs I believe? Bit of a hike and the worlds smallest parking lot but go early and enjoy the half dozen cascading pools of mineral hot springs.

Once you are about 15 minutes up the trail, there is signpost 2. There are two main ways to get to the hot springs. The easy and obvious way is to turn right at the small Gaviota peak sign down a single track muddy trail that has the creek directly on the right (see pic with caption). The other way is to continue up to the peak for about 10 minutes more. There is no signage for this path, but it is not muddy and is much more pleasant. I recommend this way. Another reviewer has pictures that points the trail junction out. I enjoyed the hot springs but trail 1 is not fun. I came out using trail 2 that was dry single track.

Do not come here my friends!!!! First off, trail was severely muddy/slippery and covered in poison oak. There are no clear signs to get to the pools on the trail. We eventually found the pools, and they were not hot at all. Lukewarm at best. Lastly, the company was traumatizing. There was a couple there who seemed on heavy drugs, and the woman began giving oral to the man only a few feet away from us in the pool. It was pretty horrifying and we left. Do not want anyone to experience what we did!!!!