Gaviota, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gaviota, California
Unincorporated community
Gaviota Coast, including the oil installation and much of Gaviota State Park, 2009
Gaviota, California Location in California Show map of California Gaviota, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Santa Barbara
Elevation	102 ft (31 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)	805 & 820
GNIS feature ID	271285

Gaviota railroad trestle and Gaviota Creek

Gaviota is a small, quiet community in Santa Barbara County, California. It's not a city, but a special kind of place called an unincorporated community. This means it's not officially part of a city, but it's still a recognized area. Gaviota is located on the beautiful Gaviota Coast, about 30 miles (48 km) west of Santa Barbara. The name "Gaviota" comes from the Spanish word for "seagull."

Gaviota is found just south and east of Gaviota State Park. A road near Gaviota connects to Hollister Ranch. This is a large private area along the coast. It's located between Gaviota and Point Conception.

What Gaviota is Like

Gaviota is a place where you can see many interesting things. Local businesses include organic farming, ranching, and woodworking. You might even spot free-range cattle walking around and eating grass.

Gaviota is also home to a special place called The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI.org). This center helps marine animals that are sick or hurt. It opened in 2006 at the old Vista Del Mar School.

In the past, Gaviota had a big oil facility called the Gaviota Marine Terminal. It's now being taken apart and will become public land. There was also the Gaviota Oil Heating Facility, sometimes called the "Gaviota Gas Plant." This plant used to heat oil from offshore so it could travel through a pipeline to refineries. This facility is also being changed and partly closed down.

The Gaviota Coast

The Gaviota Coast is a very special part of California. It's mostly undeveloped, meaning it doesn't have many buildings or cities. In fact, it's the longest rural coastline left in southern California.

In 2016, a 21-mile (34 km) stretch of Highway 101 that goes through the Gaviota Coast was named a State Scenic Highway. This means it's a beautiful drive! Protecting this area is very important. A film called "The Twenty" by The Surfrider Foundation talks about preserving this unique coastline.

Special Plants of Gaviota

The Gaviota Coast is also home to a rare plant called Gaviota tarweed. This plant is a special type of Deinandra increscens. It is an endangered subspecies found only in Santa Barbara County.

History of Gaviota

The first Europeans to explore this part of California were from Spain. They were part of the Portolá expedition. On August 24, 1769, they camped at Gaviota Creek. They stopped there again on January 6, 1770, on their way back.

A missionary named Juan Crespi wrote in his diary about the area. He said, "I called this place San Luis Rey." But the soldiers with him had another name for it: "La Gaviota." They called it this because they had killed a seagull there. That's how Gaviota got its name, as "Gaviota" is the Spanish word for "seagull."

Gaviota's Climate

Gaviota has a mild, coastal Mediterranean climate. This means the weather is pleasant all year round. Temperatures stay pretty consistent. Fog is very common, especially in the mornings during summer. However, it usually clears up by the afternoon, revealing sunny skies.