“Camping established in 1953”
Gaviota State Park takes its name from the Spanish word for seagull, given to the area by soldiers of the Portola Expedition who supposedly killed a seagull while camping here in 1769. Marked by a tall Southern Pacific railroad trestle that crosses Gaviota Creek high above the day-use parking lot, the park is a popular spot for swimming, picnicking, surf fishing and camping, despite high winds that often blow through the area. A pier on the west end of the beach is used by anglers, and scuba divers and surfers use a boat hoist on the pier to access the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel. Visitors can explore the rugged upland portions of the park from a trailhead in the parking area. Ambitious hikers can climb to Gaviota Peak that offers a spectacular view of the coast and the Channel Islands. Gaviota State Park is also home to the Kashtayit State Marine Conservation Area, and boater launching from Gaviota may be able access the Point Conception State Marine Reserve. Each area has its own rules regarding fishing and the take of living marine resources.
Reviews of Gaviota State Park
4 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 4G/5G
Confirmed by 4 users | Last reported on September 12, 2023Great little campground with a private beach, a pier (currently closed) and an Amtrak trestle bridge for the Coast Starlight route up and down the coast. Bathrooms with flush toilets and cold water sinks are kept clean. Hot showers $.25/2 minutes. No hookups that I know of. IT CAN BE VERY WINDY in this area so beware, especially if you're tent camping. Each site has a picnic tablet and a fire pit.
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 4
Site Number: 18
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
A beautiful private beach in a unique setting (adjacent to the pier and bridge). I didn’t have time to visit the nearby wind caves or the hot spring, but all the more reason to come back! Bathrooms are clean and there's a snack shack for convenience. The campground draws a diverse crowd (rv, tent, surfers, families) and by 9pm the whole campground quiets down pretty quickly and despite being next to a train bridge, I did not hear the train while I was there. Slept with the camper window cracked open and fell asleep to the sound of the nearby waves. Quite nice. The campsites all bleed into one another with little to no division between sites. Tents are essentially out in a shared open space. Verizon reception was good with 15mb+ down.
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 31
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
The green grass in the other photos is now gone and it is dirt. Showers and toilets need cleaning. It is a beach campground so you are in a parking lot, meh 🤷♂️
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: -
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
Ugly, dirty, no grass, beach unkept, unbelievably rude state park attendant! He put us right in the same place as a tent village and there were at least 25 spaces open. I asked if we could move and he said all sites were booked solid. My husband went back to ask and the attendant decided to switch us with someone else coming in later. Only ONE other camper came there whole time. Awful place and advise you to not go.
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 28
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 5G
Be the first to add a review to the Gaviota State Park.
Gaviota State Park
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
Problem with this listing? Let us know.
Has RV parking changed? Let us know.
-
Parking
-
Pets Allowed
-
Restrooms
-
Wifi
-
Wheelchair Accessible
-
Credit Cards Accepted
- Max Length
- 27 ft
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Last Nightly Rate
- 45.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 35.0
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 21.0
-
Laundry
-
Propane
-
Showers
-
Big Rigs
-
Boondock
-
Firewood
-
Tent Sites
-
Cabin Sites
-
Full Hookup
-
Paved Sites
-
Dump Station
-
Mobile Homes
-
Public Water
-
Pull Through
-
Reservations
-
Sewer Hookup
-
Water Hookup
-
Potable Water
-
Age Restricted
-
Dispersed Sites
-
Open Seasonally
-
Permit Required
-
Group Tent Sites
-
Fulltime Residents
-
Standard Tent Sites
-
Pull Through RV Sites
Campground, Restrooms
Nearby Hotels
Related Trip Guides
The Ultimate Guide To Joshua Tree National Park
- 53 Places
- 11:44
- 408 mi
The top things to do on an I-40 road trip
- 35 Places
- 49:44
- 2,851 mi
The top things to do on an I-10 road trip
- 55 Places
- 56:13
- 3,026 mi