Gaviota Pass - Gaviota, California - Wagon Roads and Trails on Waymarking.com

The northbound highway rest stop at Gaviota Pass has a series of bronze history plaques.

This plaque details the history of this road from trail to highway. As the plaque says:

"Highway 101 has gone by many names: State Route 2, the Coast Highway, and
El Camino Real, the King's Highway. Originally a meandering foot trail that
followed the creek, Gaviota Pass was slightly widened for stagecoaches around
1861. Even so, the roadway remained primitive and was often impassable or
washed out completely in bad weather, and travelers were marooned at high
tide when beaches flooded. The Southern Pacific surveyed Gaviota Pass in the
1880s, but decided a train route through the Pass would require too many
bridges and tunnels, so the coastal route was adopted. In 1900 the spectacular
trestle at Gaviota and the final section of track linking Los Angeles and San
Francisco were completed near here. The growing popularity of the automobile
made further road improvements necessary. Although the old Coast Highway
was graded and graveled, it was not until the narrow concrete roadway of State
Route 2 was constructed in 1915 that the Pass became dependable. As you read
this plaque, you are standing on a remnant section of that road."

Road of Trail Name: El Camino Real State: CA County: Santa Barbara Historical Significance: It was used by the Spanish soldiers and padres who trod the El Camino Real in the 1700s, connecting the chain of missions in Alta California How you discovered it: history plaque at highway rest stop Website Explination: http://www.nps.gov/pwro/gaviota/gaviota_draft_report_27-35.pdf Why?: This is the only natural route between the mountains from the Pacific coast north of Santa Barbara to northern California. It was a stage coach route for half a century before becoming a paved road for automobiles. Directions: Northbound Highway 101, Gaviota Rest Area Years in use: Not listed Book on Wagon Road or Trial: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this Waymark the poster must have a picture of either themselves, GPSr, or mascot. People in the picture with information about the waymark are preferred. If the waymarker can not be in the picture a picture of their GPSr or mascot will qualify. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   03/26/2015 jezevcik visited it 12/27/2010 Queens Blessing visited it

View all visits/logs