Gaviota State Park, established in 1953 about 33 miles west of Santa Barbara, spans 2,787 acres from the Pacific shoreline to the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains beside Los Padres National Forest. Shaped by a rare break in the coastal mountains, it is split by U.S. Route 101 at Gaviota Pass and Tunnel into a beach-and-campground western section and an eastern backcountry area. Its habitats include chaparral, oak woodland, prairie, grassland, and a high-quality riparian corridor along Gaviota Creek. Known for Sundowner winds and wildfire, the park also offers campsites, trails, a hot spring route, and access to Gaviota Peak.

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