Alternatively called Las Cruces Hot Springs after the small town that once existed along the junction of Highways 1 and 101, Gaviota Hot Springs are two stone mud-bottomed pools set in a palm-lined grotto a steep. It is imaginable that in case of a volcanic earthquake, the magma heats the groundwater. I really enjoyed the wooded trail lined by oaks and sycamores most of the way. Although the Hot Springs didn't look as nice as the photos I found on the internet it was interesting geology at least. The Gaviota Hot Springs are 3/10ths of a mile from the trail head. The springs are located just a little ways off of the trailhead on the way to Gaviota Peak. Gaviota Hot Springs offers a warm, blue sulfur water that attracts many bathers. A few wildflowers were already blooming. The water is warm not hot. Las Cruces (Gaviota) Hot Springs - Hot Springs in the U.S. 05/07/2018. Years back someone created the small bathouse we see today with cement to create the pool we can enjoy today. I hiked up Gaviota Peak Fireroad which was in pretty good condition. The Gaviota Hot Springs are less than a mile hike through a shaded trail. Contents. #25 – The Gaviota Hot Springs. Gaviota Hot Springs. Don’t be turned off by the smell as it’s totally natural and what gives them their healing powers! However, hot springs and earthquakes are related closely. The hot springs are large enough for about half a dozen people to soak in and temperature usually fluctuates in the 90-100 degree range depending on the season. Posted on March 21, 2012 by A Foreign Perspective. From the parking area, a wide fire road begins the climb. This makes for a great detour if you have tired legs in need of a relaxing soak. GAVIOTA HOT SPRING. Many people who see the hot springs come away disappointed because they expect them to be larger and hotter. At the trailhead you will start hiking up a large fire road that climbs about 150 feet. So you are in Santa Barbara and you’ve just finished a day of wine tasting, what better way to continue the great day into the night then by taking a small hike to a hidden jacuzzi. Gaviota Hot Springs is a small natural hot spring located just off the 101 freeway in Santa Barbara County California. Access to these springs is via a 0.7-mile long trail that climbs 400 feet from the trailhead elevation. In case of an earthquake caused by a slip of fault, is there any relevance? The springs are a light, milky blue with smells of sulfur permeating from them. There are hot spring lovers, but no earthquake lovers. At about 2/10ths of a mile turn right on a single track trail that leads to the three pools that make up the hot springs.