Showing posts with label santa barbara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label santa barbara. Show all posts
Gaviota Hot Springs
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| Gaviota Hot Springs |
Gaviota Hot Springs is a small natural hot spring located
just off the 101 freeway in Santa Barbara County California. The hot springs are large enough for about half a
dozen people to soak in and temperature usually fluctuates in the 90-100 degree
range depending on the season. Many
people who see the hot springs come away disappointed because they expect them
to be larger and hotter. A park ranger told us that the early Spanish missionaries
who wrote about Gaviota Hot Springs described them as a pristine desert oasis. They were obviously exaggerating a bit. However, many of the natural hot springs in Southern
California are located on private land and are inaccessible, so Gaviota is one of only a small handful of natural hot springs that everyone can visit. The hike itself is less than a mile, but its
all uphill and took us 15 minutes at a brisk pace.
The water temperature in the hot spring was probably closer to 100 degrees when we made the
trip. There was also a very strong sulfur
smell in the water, but that’s not unusual. Be warned, the mosquitoes come out when the sun goes down. My girlfriend and I both ended up with a ton of bug
bites on our legs. The parking fee at
the trail-head was 2$ when we visited in April of 2013.
Although not a worthy destination from Orange County by itself, there are several other rad things to do close to Gaviota State Hot
Springs. There is a short hike to see some wind caves in Gaviota State Park. Nojoqui Falls is a great little waterfall hike just a few minutes down the road on the 101. If you
plan on making a trip to Gaviota Hot Springs, you absolutely cannot skip a visit
to the miniature Danish inspired town of Solvang. Also nearby in Santa Barbara is another
amazing hike called 7 Falls. I've had bad luck catching the falls with any
water running in them, but I’m determined to make the hike again next year.
