| Painted Cave State Historic Park | |
 Park setting with art protected by metal gate at cave entrance, photo January 4, 2009. |
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| Location | Painted Cave, California, Santa Barbara County, California, USA |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Santa Barbara, California |
| Coordinates | 34°30′19.53″N 119°47′19.16″W / 34.505425°N 119.7886556°WCoordinates: 34°30′19.53″N 119°47′19.16″W / 34.505425°N 119.7886556°W |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Painted Cave State Historic Park is a small sandstone cave adorned with rock art attributed to the Chumash people, adjoining the small community of Painted Cave on Painted Cave Road about 2 miles north of State Route 154 and 11 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, California[1].
The smooth and irregularly-shaped shallow sandstone cave contains numerous drawings apparently depicting the Chumash cosmology and other subjects created in mineral pigments[2] and other media over a long period ranging from about two hundred 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 and State Historic Park status. In 1972 it was added as Site #72000256 in the National Register of Historical Places.[3]
Access is relatively convenient from State Route 154 about 5 miles north of U.S. Route 101 in the San Marcos Pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains, driving 2 miles north on Painted Cave Road. The cave is adjacent to the left side of this narrow one-lane mountain road, with a widened shoulder that provides parking for one or two vehicles.[4] The drive is not appropriate for trailers and RVs, due to some very tight turns and steep sections. The art is very close to the road up a trail that includes a few short stairs with a metal handrail, ending on a landing at metal gate protecting the cave entrance. The gate is made in such a way that viewing and photography is convenient for people of any height.
This park is one of the few providing open access for viewing original Rock 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.
References
- ^ Public Lands Information Center http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?plicstate=CA&id=6557&PublicLandsDOTorg=a50d53fe05427bfa8f355217bbf582e1
- ^ Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History http://www.sbnature.org/research/anthro/chumash/pcart.htm
- ^ http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/CA/Santa+Barbara/state.html
- ^ California State Parks: Chumash Painted Cave http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=602
See also
External links
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