Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park

Phone Number

(805) 733-3713

Park Hours

dawn ‘til dusk

Dogs Allowed?

Yes

Driving Directions to Chumash Painted Cave SHP

The site is three miles south of the San Marcos Pass: Take Highway 154 out of Santa Barbara and turn right on Painted Caves Road. The cave is located on the left, about two miles up a steep, narrow road. The pullout at the site will only accommodate one or two vehicles. Trailers and RVs should not attempt the road.

Online reservations are not available for this park.

No online brochures available for this park.

Upcoming Park Events

No events scheduled at this moment.

TRAIL USE
Hiking Trails
DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Historical/Cultural Site
Interpretive Exhibits

Chumash Painted Cave SHP image

Alaxuluxen, the Chumash name for the Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park, a small cave located in present day Santa Barbara that remains an important touchstone to Chumash culture and heritage. The walls of the cave are covered in Chumash paintings highlighting the significance of this place for Chumash people historically and today. With support from the California State Parks Foundation Park Improvement Grant, CyArk has collaborated with CA State Parks and Chumash elder Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto to utilize existing 3D data of the cave captured by CyArk in 2015 to create a freely accessible virtual Tapestry experience. Today, the cave paintings are protected by a metal gate to combat many decades of vandalism. The educational Tapestry experience provides virtual access to this portion of the cave and opportunities for a broad audience to learn about and connect with Chumash history and heritage.

Click here to access the Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park Tapestry.

For more information, visit CyArk Chumash Painted Cave Project.


The walls of this small cave carved from towering sandstone boulders contain some of the finest remaining rock art created by Chumash Native Americans.  A steep path leads to the cave entrance, which is protected by heavy iron grillwork. Anthropologists estimate that the paintings date to the 1600's and earlier.  The meaning of these enigmatic images has been lost.