Gaviota State Park
| Gaviota State Park | |
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Gaviota State Park from the Gaviota Peak Trail
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| Location | Santa Barbara County, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Goleta, California |
| Coordinates | 34°29′25″N 120°13′45″W / 34.49028°N 120.22917°WCoordinates: 34°29′25″N 120°13′45″W / 34.49028°N 120.22917°W |
| Area | 2,787 acres (11.28 km2) |
| Established | 1953 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Gaviota State Park is a state park of California, USA. It is located in southern Santa Barbara County, California, about 33 miles (53 km) west of the city of Santa Barbara. It extends from the Pacific coast to the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains, and is adjacent to Los Padres National Forest. The 2,787-acre (1,128 ha) park was established in 1953.
The park is bisected by U.S. Route 101, which turns north from the coast at Gaviota, passing through the Gaviota Tunnel and Gaviota Pass, which is actually a deep canyon cut entirely through the southern branch of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Gaviota State Park consists of two units, one on each side of the highway. The western unit includes the beach and associated campground, which receives most of the park's visitors.
Both sections of the park contain trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. The most heavily traveled trail is a short dirt road leading to a popular hot spring on the eastern side of the highway. A more substantial trail beginning at the same trailhead leads out of the park to the summit of Gaviota Peak, the highest mountain in the vicinity at 2,458 feet (749 m). While not exceptionally high, because it is an isolated peak the views are expansive in all directions; on a clear day it is possible to see much of Santa Barbara County, as well as the coast as far south as the Santa Monica Mountains. Trails within the park total 34 miles in all.
Mountain lions may be encountered in the park, and warning signs are prominently posted. The park was closed for a month in 1992 following a near-fatal attack by a lion on a 9-year-old boy.
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Wikipedia