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Gaviota State Park
Photo via Wikimedia (Gaviota State Park)
Budget-friendlyBeaches & Coast

Gaviota State Park

Goleta, CA

$10/vehicle day-use

★★★★★4.5(2,466 Google reviews)

The northernmost and largest of the three Gaviota Coast state parks, with 2,000+ acres of oak-and-chaparral backcountry hiking to Gaviota Peak, wind caves, and hot springs, plus a striking 1900-era railroad trestle visible (but not approachable — it's an active line) from the park. The historic fishing pier has been closed since storm damage in 2014 with no repair timeline, so it's not a usable feature.

Good for

  • Ages 0–2
  • Ages 10+

1595 US-101, Goleta, CA 93117, USA

(805) 968-1033

hikingbeachcampingviews

Map

Tides today

Next low tide

12:12 PM

3.3 ft — best for tide pools

Next high tide

8:08 AM

3.8 ft

Predictions from NOAA · Santa Monica station

What visitors say

  • Kajal★★★★★

    Gorgeous lookout point at Gaviota State Park — well worth the stop for the views alone. The beach itself gets very crowded, so don’t expect a quiet, secluded spot. Heads up: there’s a $10 entrance fee even if you’re just stopping by briefly, so plan for that ahead of time.

    a month ago

  • Ethan Vose★★★★★

    The beach was pretty good. High waves but the boardwalk was closed. If you head left, that will be the best part. A real surreal area you can walk a long.

    5 months ago

Showing 2 of 5 Google reviews · Read them all on Google Maps

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