A Little-Known Slice Of Southern California History Can Be Found At This Roadside Spot
By Natasha Kayes|Published January 02, 2024
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Natasha Kayes
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I was born and raised in sunny Southern California and will never tire of the West Coast, although I spent several years living in Southeast Asia, about as far from California as you can get. Wherever I am in the world, I love straying from the beaten path, experiencing local life, and discovering hidden gems - camera in hand. The beach is my happy place and when I am not there (or writing), you will usually find me baking, watching movies, and cuddling my pugs. I have traveled around the country and around the world, and it never, ever gets old. Being able to combine my passion for travel and my love of writing is nothing short of a dream.
The area of Southern California from the Pacific Coast to the slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains, including the city of Santa Barbara, was once populated by the Barbareño tribe of the Chumash people. The city was originally known as Syukhtun, and this tribe of Chumash was one of the largest and most influential in the entire state. A small, but significant and fascinating piece of Chumash history can be found at a site known as Painted Cave in Santa Barbara.
About 5.5 miles from Highway 101 in Santa Barbara, along CA-154, is a single sign (that most people ignore or never notice!) that points the way to the aptly named Painted Cave Road.
The drive to Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park is beautiful, but narrow and winding, so it’s important to take it slow and keep an eye out for motorcycles, bicycles, and cars taking the curves a little faster than they should. There are a couple of vista points where you can pull over and enjoy gorgeous views over the Santa Barbara coastline.
A steep, narrow path and a few rocky stairs take you from the road to the entrance of Painted Cave. From the cave, visitors can continue hiking into the 7.5-acre open space park.
Due to past visitors causing damage and adding graffiti “artwork” of their own, the cave opening is now protected by a locked grate to preserve the delicate drawings inside. The holes are large enough to look through and even put a camera up to and take clear photos.
The Chumash Rock Paintings here are considered to be some of the most colorful and elaborate in the world. It is believed that Chumash priests, or Shamans, created these drawings for religious purposes.
The meaning of the symbols has been lost to history, but they continue to fascinate visitors and remain sacred to indigenous peoples in Southern California.
The strange erosion and holes in the sandstone rock face around the cave are also pretty intriguing, especially for those with an interest in geology.
The Chumash Rock Paintings here are considered to be some of the most colorful and elaborate in the world. It is believed that Chumash priests, or Shamans, created these drawings for religious purposes.
Apparently, the designs were painted at different times, sometimes over previous images. They were drawn with pigments created from various minerals such as red ochre, gypsum, charcoal, and manganese dioxide.
