Gaviota Rest Area

This rest stop is a welcoming site for the weary travelers. It has a bathroom structure closest to the freeway exit. The men’ bathrooms are in the front closest to the parking spaces and the women’s bathrooms are to the back closest to the mountain side.
This rest stop has many amentities. There are 6 stalls available for the each men and women’s restrooms. The facility uses 1 ply toilet paper, air blower to dry your hands (no paper towels) and foam soap.
They have wild life information for an easy read and tables and benches to eat your snack until you reach your destination. Most of all, it has a pet exercise area, which makes it pet friendly.
It is clean and a very peaceful rest area. Please be advised that there are two rest areas, one to the exit northbound and one on the southbound of the 101 freeway.

Worst rest stop ever. Stood in line for a long time to use the restroom during Memorial Day weekend. The person cleaning the bathrooms was rude, cursing and very eerily staring at the patrons that were just passing through. When I asked him if the other women’s restroom was open, he snapped at me and said they were closed for cleaning. On a holiday weekend, at a time where everyone is passing through to get home, why would you act so terribly unpleasant?
I won’t be stopping at this location again. Whoever the worker was at that time should be terminated and find a new profession, perhaps something he enjoys.

The man who was cleaning the restroom found in necessary to cuss and call all the women in line stupid bi***** for waiting in line. He shut down all the stall but one when there was at least 20 people waiting. Extremely unnecessary and rude.

For almost 11 months every time I’ve passed by this rest stop, it was closed. Low and behold, to my surprise, one time driving down from a recent visit to S.F., it was open!
I can see that they just «beautified» the place with newer benches, landscaping, and the bathroom facilities. Also the building looks like it’s been remodeled.
Of course on my next return visit from S.F. it was closed (maybe due to cleaning?).
I sort of got used to passing this by, but if it’s open, I don’t mind pulling over and stretching out my legs and possibly taking a nap in the car.

Great place to stop if you don’t want to whizz in your pants and have time to make a rest stop before driving down to Los Angeles or if you’re heading up to the Central Coast or Bay Area for Southern California travelers. One thing you got to keep in mind though, is that parking is VERY LIMITED, so you may have to wait for a while until someone leaves.
Just a note: The rest stop is CLOSING ITS DOORS on MAY 5, 2014 for «approximately 9 months» according to a news source, for renovations!
UPDATE: As of 2÷23÷2015, the rest stop FINALLY OPENS after months long of closure for renovation work.

Bring hand sanitizer. Lots of hand sanitizer…

Just bathroom. Basic stop point. It’s right before a tunnel.

Great place to pee, poop, and or stretch your legs. Usually pretty clean and the surrounding landscaping and scenery is visually pleasing and relaxing. Has a designated area for pets too so even your four legged friends can purge the cargo holds.

This is the perfect to stop for some fresh air and a bathroom break on the way to San Luis Obispo from LA. The bathrooms are clean. There is also area information to peruse. The only issue is that parking is limited. That being said, I have never waited longer than 3 or 4 minutes for a spot. There is a rest stop just like it on the other side of the freeway for southbound travelers. For some reason that one is not nearly as busy.

Nice rest stop … clean restrooms. Limited parking.