1943 Map of Gaviota

About this map

Gaviota and its dramatic coastal interface are the focus of this 1943 War Department survey of the Santa Barbara coastline. The map records a landscape defined by the steep canyons and ridges of the Los Padres National Forest meeting the Santa Barbara Channel. This era shows the coastal transport corridor in high detail, with the Southern Pacific railroad and the early alignment of Highway 101 tracing the narrow shelf between the mountains and the sea.