Gaviota Peak Trail

We started our hike around 2pm on Sunday and veered to the left of the fork toward the peak. This was our first time hiking here and didn’t know what to expect. It’s about 3 miles pretty much straight up, so wear comfortable shoes. My husband wore hiking boots and had blisters by the end.
We got to the top of the peak and signed our names to a notebook in the metal box. We decided to take Trespass Trail coming down which faces the ocean and was absolutely beautiful. It gets narrow in places and can be rocky, so I also recommend walking sticks if you have them. I also wore light long sleeves and pants, since I wasn’t sure about poison oak and ticks. All in all, it took us about 4 hours to complete the trails.
PLEASE NOTE! When we got to the bottom, our car was broken into. Someone had smashed our passenger side window and also 2 other cars. Apparently, the same culprit has been hitting several parks in the area and stealing things while the owners are hiking. Thankfully, my wallet was locked in the glove box so he didn’t steal anything valuable but PLEASE BE AWARE. The park rangers were notified of the crimes and helped us file a report.

No dogs allowed :(This is a great hike with fantastic views. Most of the people you meet on SB trails are very nice but I don’t take chances and I don’t hike alone without my dog. There is a sign at the trailhead but I swear I thought it was a picture of a horse! Okay so I’m a dork but I think people should be warned before they make the hour long car trip. My hiking book said nothing about dogs not being allowed on the trail.

Excellent little hike to catch some sweet California coast and mountain views.
We got there around 9AM and didn’t get to park at the trailhead, but were still able to park closer to the highway, about a 2 minutes walk. Overall the hike seemed manageable at around 7 miles round trip, and ~2000 ft elevation. On the way up there’s a nice tromp through grasslands and dustier trail with a little shade. Plan on coming earlier in the day because there isn’t much shade, so it gets a bit hot. I loved walking along the peak ridges and checking out the views at the top. At a moderate pace, we made it up to the top in 1:15 and spend 3 – 4 hours total, including a stop at the hot springs at the bottom and some snack breaks in between.