Hidden up in the hills above Santa Barbara lies a sandstone cave used by the Chumash for possibly up to 1000 years. Now part of the California State Park system, it holds artwork created by the Chumash to depict important cultural concepts and themes. Protected by a gate, the Painted Cave can be visited dawn to dusk. Admission is free. Very limited parking on the narrow, curvy, mountainous road. Definitely worth the trip to see this beautiful site. read more

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We stopped here on the way to the Cold Springs Tavern. The GPS takes you to a turn out where you can safely park and then walk up the hill. Painted Cave road is very narrow so if you pull over in front of the cave you will block others. There's a short climb to the cave which is behind a fence to protect it from vandalism. You can take lots of pictures through the fence. Since it's such a short hike you may want to combine this with a trip to Knapp Castle about a mile up the road. Very beautiful historical site. read more

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I went to Santa Barbara with my BFF and we decided to venture out from the city to do something different. We drove the narrow roads to come and see this, and not sure if I would come again. Located on a one way road through a mountainous residential neighborhood, you will easily miss this "park". It's basically one rock with a nearby trail. Once you see the sign, try parking along the side of the road to take the steps up to see it. We missed it and had to do a three point turn at the mailboxes by the next switchback to make our way back. There is space for 2 cars, and you will spend about 5 minutes here to view the cave paintings. There is a steep trail if you want to do a hike (we went when it was a bit rainy so the trail was pretty muddy and we only had running shoes on). We ventured across the street down to the creek where we scrambled on rocks and enjoyed the creek for a bit. It would actually be a really nice place to picnic if the weather was better. read more

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The drive is scenic and dangerous so be careful. Very small interesting site with one cave restricted to protect painting but guess what humans scribbled around On the rocks and walls wherever they could pretty disappointing. read more

Interesting and unique site. Be warned that it is up a long, narrow road that is winding. It's about 15 minutes off of the main road and steep at parts. When you get there it is a roadside stop with no parking lot and nobody is there. There are 2 narrow parking spots on the side. The road is so narrow I had to drive further up to find a place to turn around. Not a fun drive at all. There are fantastic views at the top. You can see real Native American art up close. It's a few minutes stop but when will you be able to see something like this? It's free and worth seeing if you are in Santa Barbara. It was about 45 minutes total. Just be careful with the drive. read more

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We just visited here on our way back from Santa Barbara and we are glad we did. Here are a few things to know: - The drive up is windy and steep and it will take you more than 10 minutes to make it the 3 miles off the mail road to this location. - Parking is virtually non-existant so you have to pull over where you can. - You will probably only need 15-20 minutes here as the trail is right next to the road and just a few steps up. - The cave is fenced to keep people out but the painting are in full view I recommend this to anyone who hasn't been here. We found a lot of other great hikes in the area as well if you are looking for something that takes a bit longer! read more

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I was told this is California small state park. It is definitely really small LOL. The drive is really winding as well as steep. There are houses on the road and the people that live up there drive really fast. It is important to remember that you have to pull off the road to let people pass. There are few spots to do this, so drive with care and forethought. Once you locate the state park, there is only room for 2 cars to pull off the main one lane road. You have to park right against the rock wall. I let the kids out before pulling over. The cave is awesome and barred off to prevent vandalism. You can put the camera throw the opening and take pictures with no bars blocking. After the steep winding road, narrow passage, fast moving locals, you can sit in awe of the art work the Chumash have left for us to view. It is pretty amazing to think how the Chumash lived before the conquerors assimilated them. Alttle sad also to imagine what had been lost... read more

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This is such a cool piece of history, I am glad we stopped by to appreciate the painter cave. It's kind of tucked in so easy to miss, but the sign is helpful. Also a great spot to hike when it's not too warm, will definitely visit again in the spring! read more

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Getting here was an adventure, but it was definitely worth it! Following a treacherous road up the mountain and into a forest we found ourselves amidst an amazing adventure at the Painted Cave at California's State Historic Park. The cave was painted by the Chumash people approximately 500 - 1000 years ago. We had a great time deciphering the cave paintings. We saw a unicorn (on the left between black and white designs), a Time Machine (the wheel in different positions), movement of the currents (fish bones), celebrations (people dancing.) We wonder what the artist meant by these drawings. Whatever the true meaning is, we had fun exploring The Painted Cave State Historic Park and Santa Barbara! The views from here are amazing too! Overall, a great experience! read more

The best part of this experience is the one-lane road to the Cave. Generally speaking the car going up has right of way, but don't expect any yielding from anyone under 30... As for the cave, I'd recommend that this be a stopping point for the Knapp Castle which is a few miles up the road. While fascinating and a great learning experience it's only a five minute one. Why not visit two cool places? Tip - Bring a flashlight read more

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Swung by here today to check out the painted cave. We were already in the area to see Knapp's Castle. It's a small area along the road, so we almost passed it. Parking is along the road, so very limited. You'll probably only spend 5-10 minutes there max. The cave is actually walled off by metal bars, which allow you to see the painting but you cannot touch it. Preservation purposes! read more

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

DON'T RISK YOUR LIFE TAKING PAINTED CAVE ROAD. It's very narrow and many blind turns. On your way up there's cliff at your right hand side. I can't image how people deal with cars coming from opposite direction. We were lucky that we didn't encounter any other car on our way up. We took another road, E Camino Cielo down. I felt very mad afterward that I accidentally got myself and beloved family into this dangerous situation. When I realized it's not a safe road, there's no way to turn back and we had to keep going. Very scary experience. When we finally got to the site there's no parking. There's should be warning signs about the road condition somewhere. read more

Be forewarned- if you take the road from 101, it is a 3/4 width switchback road and 2 ways. NOT for flatlanders. The Parking lot is a quarter mile below, and you will have to scale a small cliff to look through the bars into the cave. White knuckle driving on this route. read more

Poorly marked roads made it impossible to locate the first time. Found out you have to travel the narrow and steep road much further than we went. May try a second time. read more

Definitely worth defying death both on the way up AND down on a narrow mountain road with twists and blind turns...and though the cave is covered by a metal grate, it is still easily viewable. Others mentioned lighting issues, but I went at 1pm and the cave was completely lit up by natural light. The cave drawings/art itself is pretty impressive and definitely worth seeing especially since the drawings have been there for quite a few hot minutes. It is also in a nicely forested area that you can take a little hike behind where the actual cave is. Fair warning, blink and you pass it! I used my GPS and found it just fine. Also, there is absolutely no parking! You have to pull on the side of the road and if there is two small cars or an oversized minivan, then you are SOL til one of them leaves. It's wise to leave your blinkers on when you are parked as well. read more

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From downtown Santa Barbara, the short drive to the Chumash pictographs provides excitement as Painted Cave Road winds up a mountain providing gorgeous views along the way. The wonderful destination called Chumash State Park offers some vibrant pictographs easily visible from the heavy metal gate at the entrance of the little cave. This will be a quick point-and-shoot experience unless you walk across the road then take some time to sit in the shade and cool your feet in the lively stream. (That's my routine.) If you've never seen pictographs, these are a good introduction and you get can back to Santa Barbara in time for lunch. read more

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About 30 minutes drive from downtown Santa Barbara lies the Chumash Painted Caves "Park". Not much of a park, but more of a pitstop along the road. The road to get here was very windy and uphill, and on a clear day, you can see SB and the coast from up high above. I came on a cloudy day when it was about to rain, so the weather was pretty dismal that day. It's actually kind of hard to pinpoint where to go exactly, as the "park" doesn't have a real physical address. If you decide to come out here, use your maps app, follow the directions, and drive slowly until you see boulders with stairs leading up to a gated area +/- cars stopped along the road. There isn't any place for parking except for the side of the road. The total time I spent at the park was probably at most 10 minutes. It's really just the caves, which are locked and gated up, that there is to see. As a fan of art from different cultures, it was pretty cool to see these paintings that were painted hundreds of years ago by the native Chumash people, who still live in the area (they own the Chumash Casino down the 154 highway). Besides these caves, there really isn't much to see besides that. I probably spent more time driving to the caves than I had actually spent there. Oh well. I wouldn't recommend coming here if it's going to be your sole destination, but would be OK if you're going to see other things along the way like Solvang, Nojoqui Falls, the Chumash Casino, etc. By itself, the drive isn't worth it. read more

Very long super narrow road up to an anticlimactic cave. There isn't much places to hike up there that I could see. I think this road can be good for bikers who want to challenge themselves. Otherwise, I was not a fan. read more

This painted cave art by the Chumash people (dating back to the 1600's or earlier) was a unique sight to see, especially since the meaning of the images is already lost. The cave is protected by a heavy iron bars and you probably won't spend more than 5 minutes there. I would recommend you combine Knapp's Castle with the Painted Caves in the same visit since they're only 15 minutes apart. The drive up the mountain to the cave is steep, narrow, and has lots of sharp turns. Once there, you'll have to find street parking as there's no parking lot. The cave is only a short 0.1 mile walk away from the road. read more

Super great pictograph. It's a shame they had to protect it with a heavy gate. It's very difficult to get a reasonable photograph. Worth the stop read more

For anyone who appreciates history and archeology, this is the perfect stop en route to Knapp Castle, Cold Springs Tavern or Los Olivos/Solvang. Why not learn a bit about the Chumash natives who have called this beautiful paradise home for hundreds of years?! As you climb up the twisting hair-pin Painted Cave Road to the cave, take a look back at the Channel Islands where the Chumash would often fish for food while in their canoes covered in local tar from the beaches. Side note: The road is very narrow and becomes one single lane; remember the car traveling up has the right away and to drive slowly! Once the path has trees arching over it and the sun disappears temporarily, keep an eye out for the landmark sign on the west side of the road so as not to pass up the cave. There's only space on the side of the road for about 3-4 cars, so drive carefully. The actual cave is protected by a metal gate with bars since people have sadly defaced some of the petroglyphs. There are two main spots with drawings and paintings in red that date back to the 1600's. You'll see a lot of small pockets in the rock which is where the Chumash use to mix and place their paints made of local plants. See Paolo H.'s review for more historical background. It can be dark inside the cave to see the images so I've found myself using my phone's flashlight to peer inside--just don't drop it! It's awesome knowing there are hidden caves like these throughout the area! If you enjoy this experience, take a trip out the Carrizo Plain National Monument and register for a pass to see the Painted Cave there. Stunning! read more

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Review 24 I never knew this landmark existed till about 15 years ago and went see the Painted Cave at the following family road trip. Getting there was very easy through the extremely steep hill and switchbacks, the roads weren't as they are now which is great. The paintings haven't changed since the first time I visited, the small area is kept very clean by the park and visitors. The community is very quite and neighbors are friendly, my last visit I spent almost an hour talking to cyclist heading up to their homes past the caves. I've taught my boys to pick up 1-bag of trash everywhere we go, bought them a cool foldable trash gripper that they still use when traveling. WATCH FOR CYCLIST !! it could be on that road Plan B. read more

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park - Beautiful paintings, worth coming to see the history. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

It's worthwhile to take some time to visit this small sandstone cave and view the Chumash rock art if you are ever near Santa Barbara. It's located high up a mountain and off the side of narrow winding road. The only place to park is in one of the two spots located right in front of the site. It was interesting to learn that painted caves were the location where Shamans would go to enter into their supernatural world. The pictographs illustrate their supernatural experiences in their vision quests. If you were able to view the main wall straight-on you would be able to make out a rattlesnake and a centipede. The rattlesnake served as a supernatural guardian and spirit helper of the Snake Shaman. The centipede was thought, at the time, to be deadly and dangerous; it was symbolic of the Shaman and the supernatural world. There is some debate about the sunburst and other geometric images. Some say that they are depictions of the sun or an eclipse and others say they are hallucinogenic patterns seen by the Shaman in his altered state. There are also some human figures thought to represent Shaman heads and ghosts floating in the supernatural. It was also interesting to learn that other villagers would avoid rock art sites even when located within their own villages. They wouldn't even look at them and they wouldn't dare touch the panels. They feared swarms of insect-like creatures and sickness were inside the sites. The protective gate in front of the cave opening helps to deter vandals. There's a small opening that allows you to take pictures. If you visit in the evening you may want to bring a flashlight. read more

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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WOW.....I guess I should have read the reviews a bit more closely. This spot is the size of a small closet and it's on the side of a harrowing two-lane road that is basically a cart path. Residents zip down in their fancy cars, leaving others to try to avoid them while also trying not to drive their car down a sheer cliff at the side of the mountain. The cave itself could be cool, but there isn't much there and the sign isn't very helpful in terms of information. The better part of this trip was traveling back down the mountain and stopping at some of the look out points - which were amazing. I wouldn't make this an integral part of any trip unless you LOVE cave paintings and don't mind heights, minuscule roads, or having to park in a spot that is DEFINITELY not safe....oh - and don't try to turn around on the cart path...not a good idea. read more

This is not a park. It is a tiny cave on the side of a perilous one lane road. Driving up to the spot was quite an experience. Watch out for cars coming the opposite way, the road is so narrow that you cannot avoid them. When you make it to the site, you have a climb up and over a few boulders to see the paintings. A metal gate keeps you from getting too close to the actual paintings. Was it worth the effort? Not really.... read more

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Drive up scared me to death but once you get to the cave you realize it was worth it. The location is beautiful and very lush. The painting is remarkable. Drive down is much safer and the lookout points are amazing. Great photo opps. read more

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I think whether you enjoy this or not depends solely upon managing your expectations properly. What is this? This is a location with essentially nothing but a small cave with beautiful, ancient paintings from the chumash people thousands of years ago. Walking to the cave takes 10 seconds, and viewing the paintings in the cave probably takes 2 minutes. What is this not? It is not an expansive park with long and winding hiking trails with multiple caves for you to go spelunking in. This isn't some extended excursion. Also, it is important to understand that the drive to this cave is not exactly easy. You will take the painted cave road, which is long and extremely narrow and winding. There are several blind hairpin turns. To be honest, these are extremely risky, as there are a number of bikers zooming down the hill without regard for their own lives. You cannot see them approaching, and you cannot see other cars approaching. Take it slow, and make some sounds with your horn on particularly sharp turns. Do NOT take a trailer, commercial truck, or anything else of that nature up/down this road. The edges of this essentially one lane road are not protected at all, and you will likely get yourself in a sticky situation. Once you reach the cave, which you will know by a large sign, there is no parking lot. The road near the cave has a very small turn out towards the inside that can partially fit maybe two cars. That's your parking spot. After you park, you will walk up the stairs for 10 seconds before reaching the cave with the paintings. The cave is barricaded to prevent vandalism, and rightfully so. I saw so many beers, beer boxes, bottles, bottle caps, cigarettes, face masks, and other trash littered everywhere along the road. I'm sure that the same disgusting people would deface the entire cave if allowed the chance. So, this means you will only be able to peer into the cave from the outside. Make sure you bring a good camera and/or flashlight so that you can see well. That's pretty much it. You also get nice scenic views of all of santa barbara from some vantage points along the road. read more

If you are easily car sick, DO NOT GO. We had some queasy people in our car. Wow, what a twisty drive - very beautiful views on the way up. Alas, very little to physically see when you finally get there (and no, there is no parking lot - just park at the actual sign). I honestly recommend looking at the art in a book or online - you'll get to see more details. It is extremely beautiful. We got passed by a cyclist on our way up. Hats off to you, Mr. Cyclist. read more

If you are not experienced with mountain roads, you can skip this sight. Horrific roads lead to an unmarked pullout with two spaces. It's just a hole in the wall with amazingly preserved Chumash cave art, but it's not worth the rough drive. If it was more accessible it would be better. read more

Not really a park...more like a stop on the side of the road. There isn't too much to see here, just some cave paintings behind a huge metal gate. I wouldn't drive to make a trip just to see this - pair it with a trip to Knapp's Castle so your long twisty drive will be much more worthwhile. Set your expectations super low. - bring a thin flashlight: the cave is completely dark - there's not really much parking: maybe 3-4 spots on the side of the road. if all those spots are full, you are SOL because the street is so narrow (only wide enough for 1 car to pass) read more

My husband and I came here as part of our tour of the California Coast. While these caves were really interesting, they were not quite as exciting as I had hoped. The cave itself is blocked off by a gate so as to not disturb the paintings. Since it is a cave (and hence dark), it is difficult to see inside. Nothing a little flash photography couldn't fix! Finding the cave was fun, and this isn't a very popular attraction so you don't have to worry about hoards of people. We were here during peak vacation season and we didn't see another soul. You have to "hike" a bit from a trailhead, but it's not very far or even remotely difficult and the trail is well marked with signs. You do not have to worry about missing the main cave, as it is well marked and obvious that you have reached it. Overall, I would not go out of my way to come here, but if it is on your way I would definitely make it a point to stop and check it out! read more

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If you have a spare hour and you are in the Santa Barbara area, visit the Chumash Painted Cave. It quite a bit of a driving experience up a narrow road that becomes a one lane. It's a pretty small area and very easy to miss. When you see the sign, the cave is literally right there. There's no parking lot. I parked right in front of the sign. I would say the entire park are is about a 30ft by 30ft area. There is a short trail to the cave (and when I say short, I mean like 15 ft long). You can't actually go into the cave because it is blocked off by a gate, and the space needs to be preserved. Some people have tagged the art, and I can see the purpose of the gate. However, I am a big history fan, and this place is still enjoyable... just don't expect some grand park. It's nothing like that. It's a little trinket of history between residential houses that may have otherwise been overlooked had it not been found by whoever found it. read more

This is not a day trip, it's an interesting side trip enroute to somewhere else. As others have noted, the drive is a little nerve wracking and the cave is covered in iron bars to maintain the integrity of the site. Still our family enjoyed seeing it, including our five year old. Crazy to think someone painted these over 400 years ago and they remain intact. read more

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Don't waste your time coming up to these caves. They are closed and there is nothing to see. Just a fence covering everything. What a bummer because the entire family was so excited read more

I really feel horrific not giving 5 stars to a Chumash site and especially since they worked so hard 500 years ago to paint this thing, only for me to come along 500 years later and give them only 4 of 5 stars on yelp. Sorry Chumash! But it is so diminutive--you drive a ways off the 101, along the 154 highway, and then up the painted cave road that is truly scarily narrow at places. It feels like you should come upon Altamira or Chauvet or something--and then it is just a tiny cave, with bars over it and a five foot square foot painting on the ceiling. Okay, it's all history so it's worth it... read more

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park isn't very large. The roads leading up to Chumash Painted Cave state park are definitely 'advanced' level. Small tiny windy roads, one lane wide. Barely two cars wide. It's certainly an adventure getting up there. A Proper parking lot is non-existent. The Parking lot consists of a one car long divot on the side of the road. The sign marks the park. If you pass the sign, you've got to continue further up the road until you hit a driveway or somewhere to turn around. I never before thought my car was all that long until I had to turn around on this road. After turning around several times above and below looking for a park, eventually I squeezed my Camaro past a cute girl in a tiny tiny red car. I noticed her window was rolled down. While we were passing, I stopped alongside her, and rolled my window down. I asked; "Is there a state park around here?" She laughed, and said 'Yes, it's right over there, just pull off the road in front of the sign and go check it out." I thanked cute girl in tiny tiny red car, and did just that. I pulled off the road as best I could, right up behind the sign. I then carefully got out of my car to go and check out the park. There are some stairs leading up to the cave, and it's been fenced off for its own protection. I greeted a small lizard that was sitting on a log sunning itself. I then took a look around the place, snapped some pictures, and returned to my car. The whole visit took maybe twenty minutes. The paintings are pretty cool, and I wonder what they're about. There's probably a very interesting story here that I'm not getting fully. I hope through careful study will we eventually decipher the paintings. Thankfully, it's caged off to protect it from drunken hoodlums. It's a neat little free stop, and it's a pretty cool link back to the people and cultures of the past. I'm glad I've seen it, but it is most defiantly a bitch to get up there to see it. read more

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I think by "Park" they meant you'll have to park to see the cave. Heed caution if: - Easily car sick - Don't handle disappointment well - Unable to identify poison oak -- there's a ton of it - Viewing 1600's graffiti isn't your thing - In a wheelchair -- you're SOL read more

Yes, the roads are windy and small. The park itself is small. But you get breathtaking views of the ocean, and a somewhat scary experience driving up there. To me, the journey and the experience was worth it. Don't expect a huge place where you can park and stuff. You're on a side of a giant mountain; the Parks department isn't going to build a parking lot for you. We parked on the side of the road a bit further than where the park is; didn't want to block traffic. The cave itself is barred off, but if you look at the paintings, almost every one of them has been defaced, which explains the bars. So blame the people who came before and ruined a piece of archaeological history as to why you can't get closer. There's one painting that you can theoretically access up on the left side, but it's quite a climb, but it was also a nice surprise. I would advise coming here and then going to get food at Cold Spring Tavern; it made for a nice half-day trip up the mountains of Santa Barbara. read more

The photos you'll find here or elsewhere are actually a great depiction of what you'll find once you get to this cave. I have to admit: the best part was actually getting to the cave itself, because once you're there (this was my experience, at least) you can't really see much inside the cave. The drive up is perilous and switch-backful. If you're afraid of heights and narrow, winding roads, then you better let somebody else do the driving! Once you get into the mountains, you'll see a rocky outcropping and a sign. Off to one side you'll see a small turnout. That is the "parking lot". We didn't realize it, and drive right up into the small town at the top of the hill. Don't bother; you can't get to the cave from there. I suggest driving past the cave sign until you can make a safe three-point turn, then head down; you'll notice an area where two cars can pull over next to the mountainside, then walk a few minutes back to the cave itself. It's literally just a few steps and a cave barred off to visitors. Don't get too excited! But in terms of something you don't see everyday, it's worth an hour or two out of your way, and getting up the mountain is interesting/exciting with some AMAZING views! read more

It is surreal to realize that hundreds of years ago, the Chumash people painted beautiful art on the walls of these caves and they are still here. There is a spot off the side of the road for two cars to park. It would be nice to hear a bit about the history from a docent, but I understand that the park is super small. Nonetheless, it was cool to see the paintings in person. read more