| Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park | |
|---|---|
Park setting with art protected by metal gate at cave entrance | |
| Location | Santa Barbara County, California |
| Nearest city | Santa Barbara, California |
| Coordinates | 34°30′15″N119°47′13″W / 34.50417°N 119.78694°W /34.50417; -119.78694 |
| Area | 7.5 acres (3.0 ha) |
| Established | 1976 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Official name | Painted Cave[1] |
| Reference no. | 72000256 |
Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park is a unit in thestate park system ofCalifornia, United States, preserving a smallsandstone cave adorned withrock art attributed to theChumash people. Adjoining the small community ofPainted Cave, the site is located about 2 miles (3.2 km) north ofCalifornia State Route 154 and 11 miles (18 km) northwest ofSanta Barbara.[2] The 7.5-acre (3.0 ha) park was established in 1976.[3]


The smooth and irregularly shaped shallow sandstone cave contains numerous drawings apparently depicting the Chumashcosmology and other subjects created in mineral pigments[4] and other media over a long period ranging from about 200 up to possibly 1000 years or more. There is also evidence of graffiti beginning with early white settlers, which eventually led to creation of a protective physical barrier andState Historic Park status. In 1972 it was added as Site #72000256 on theNational Register of Historic Places.[5]
Access is from State Route 154 about 5 miles (8.0 km) north ofU.S. Route 101 in theSan Marcos Pass in theSanta Ynez Mountains, on Painted Cave Road. The cave is adjacent to the left side of this narrow one-lane mountain road, with a slightly widened shoulder that provides parking for one or two vehicles. The drive is not appropriate for trailers and RVs, due to some very tight turns and steep sections.[6] This park is one of the few providing open access for viewing originalrock art of the Chumash people in person. Flash photographs are prohibited since they can harm the artwork; some people use flashlights to help view the art, and some take photographs with long exposures with the camera braced on the metal gate or using a tripod.
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