Gaviota

Kellie Fernandez

Primitive and beautiful stay. The sunrise walk on the beach is unbeatable! So much marine life to see, fishing looked amazing with halibut caught from the shore. But too much seaweed during our stay, but those on boats just past the break were reeling them in! Amazing. Camp staff was friendly and helpful.

Mark Labitad

There are a lot of things to hate and things to like about this campground. I’m writing this review to help others make a practical decision when camping here. Let’s start of with the things I hate about this campground and you have probably heard it from other reviews. #1 is the wind (anywhere from 18-25 mph wind gust) usually at night till early morning. And yes it will shake and flop your tent around even if you have it all secured and staked out. And speaking of noise yes it’s very close to the highway and the train track is right next to it. So if you are bothered by noises easily when you sleep it’s not a great idea to camp here. The good thing about the campground area is the proximity to the beach, decent restrooms, and parking is right next to the campsite. Campsites vary in sizes. In my personal opinion the best spot is site #39 and #36. And if you are gonna camp over night I would recommend staying in an RV or trailer. Tent sucks at night would not recommend it. With the wind being super strong at night bonfire is not enjoyable.

Craig Driscoll Helmstedter

Gaviota State Park offers a beautiful coastal experience with some unique features. The beach is lovely, and depending on the tide, you can walk along the shore for a couple of miles. On one of our walks, we were lucky enough to spot dolphins just offshore—definitely a highlight! Another charming feature is the train that passes overhead on a tall bridge, which is fun to watch. The park provides well-maintained restrooms and token-operated showers, and there’s a small on-site store for basic food and sundry items. Be aware that tar on the sand is common, so it’s a good idea to bring baby oil or wipes for cleanup. Also, expect strong gusty winds in the afternoon and evening, which made it tough to enjoy a campfire. One particularly windy night, we ended up retreating to our trailer due to the dust and conditions. The campsites are quite close together and feel more like group sites, which might be a drawback for those seeking more privacy. Day-use parking is available and was fairly busy over the weekend. Overall, Gaviota is a great spot for a day trip or quick coastal escape—just come prepared for wind and a little tar!

Ricardo Rodriguez

You pay $10 to enjoy the whole beach including restrooms, picnic area and parking. Beach is a solitaire area but very relaxing and not crowded. There are a lot of big rocks and a few sting rays so be careful if you want to go into the water. At low tide hours you can walk more than hour to the south with no problems but make sure start waking back before 4pm to avoid water splashing your feet. Family friendly 100%.

Kelsey Magennis

Worst camping experience ever, we had a fluorescent street light beaming onto our campsites all night long and into our tents. Campsites were the smallest areas we have ever experienced. I would not advise tent camping due to the lights in spots closest to the beach due to the beach access parking lot. The highway was also very apparently in the background noice wise. The beach is also not very nice. I think if we had spots away from the lights it would have been slightly better but I have never experienced lights like that at a campground! Horrible! I would zero stars if I could!