Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park — Attraction in Goleta

If you are interested in history and have the ability to be reflective and imaginative, this is worth it. Don't pay attention to reviews that suggest the drive up is scary or dangerous. It's well paved and, as long as you're a safe, focused, observant driver, you won't have a problem. (And it isn't that steep. My hybrid made it up without any problem at all.) Here's the thing: the cave is small and has a steel grate protecting it, but you can look inside and carefully take pics if you want. If you are easily bored or have kids that are, you'll need to prepare yourself or them for this by talking up the importance of engaging your imagination to enrich the experience of seeing it in person: What would it have been like to be there thousands of years ago? What would a shaman do in this space? Why? How? The white ink was made from crushed shells, but this cave is high in the mountains. How did the shells get from the coast into the cave? Etc. Honestly, you'll spend more time driving to the cave than looking at it, but it can be worth it if you are interested enough. (A trip to the Natural History Museum afterward can deepen the experience post cave-viewing, as the Chumash culture is...

There is more than meets they eye here at the Chumash Painted Cave in Santa Barbara!

A towering rock formation resembling a coyote's head jutting out from the mountainside near the Chumash Painted Cave of 'Alaxulux'en, and the Ursa Major Great Bear entrance to the cave itself, with its nose pointing to the coyote formation.

Unknowingly, I uncovered this hidden legend - the "Sky Coyote" rock formation - near the cave's entrance (as seen in the picture I took and in the one from Google Maps Street View).

Intrigued, I penned two books: the first a fictional tale, "Chnawaway and the Sky Coyote," (on Amaxon) and the second a research-driven non-fiction book, "Beyond 'Alaxulux'en; Starry Secrets, Sacred Connections" (pictures attached) weaving together Chumash history, myth, and the mystery of this enigmatic site.

When you visit be sure to take a moment to realize the true importance of this place, and give respects to the native americans to whom this land once...

Five stars for the significance of this place to people from ancient times to the present and its location. The security is decent for what is trying to protect.

However, four to three stars are given to the contemporary human activities, which still make this place important, but it would be nice if people could honor the past and respect the current state of the cave. The petroglyphs created this year are in the form of names with plus signs, dates, and all surrounded by a roughly shaped heart.

Tiss the impulses of contamporary beings that drive then to continue marking this site. Please be kind and resist the urge to carve a name or brush off the lichen and moss in order to leave a mark. I suspect that those who will read this are more aware of the historic value of this place and will leave things as they are.

Maybe having a ranger that charges orna form of monitoring out to be set up to catch these modern guerrilla shamans.

All in all, it's...