Painted Cave has lots of Native American paintings inside a cave, up in the mountains behind Santa Barbara. The paintings were made by the local Chumash, a long time ago. To get there, turn onto Painted Cave Rd. from Hwy. 154 and just keep winding up the mountain. Park when you see the sign for the cave. The "state historic... More

If you're in the area, you should make the 2 mile trip from the main road. I was intimidated after reading other reviews concerning the sharp, winding roads however, I didn't find it all that bad; drive slow, and take caution when making corners. As mentioned in other reviews, there is little to no parking at the cave location; a... More

wish you could see better inside, although the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum used to offer tours where they would let you inside and go over the individual paintings. Very neat to see. They say that because of the centipede that is black and white stripped in there the Chumash stopped painting and going there- it was a bad sign

the cave is as previously reviewed, is along a narrow winding road with breathtaking views. I will highlight road. It was a fear-of-death drive up & down along the very narrow (at times only 1 car wide) on-the-side-of-mountain path/road which had many sharp turns. my husband & i prayed for no oncoming traffic whenever we were about to make a... More

We drove up from Santa Barbara. It was about 15 minutes to get there. The view on the way was stunning! To get to the cave, which was right on the main road, was a very short 10- step, easy walk up the side of the hill. The paintings were behind a protective fence, but clearly visible. Hard to believe... More

The Chumash painted cave consists of a single painted cave that cannot be accessed but only viewed from the outside. The road is uphill and there is barely parking space on the curb. There is a very steep track but I think it is not meant to wander on. I was disappointed for driving all the way from Santa Barbara... More

Though the two mile drive through the narrow, uphill, winding road is bit adventurous, it is rewarding with breathtaking views of the ocean and Santa Barbara. If you are a fitness freak, park your vehicle and hike some part of it. Carry food with you and make it a great picnic.

It will take no more than 10 minutes to enjoy the caves. It's an uphill drive to the caves on a narrow winding road. Great views of the ocean and channel islands on a clear day.

Santa Barbara Paddle Sports, Santa Barbara, California - The only way to see Painted Cave, plus other caves on Santa Cruz Island. All equipment provided - kayaks, nice wet suits, helmets and the guides were awesome! The fantastic adventure was topped off by sailing through a pod of dolphins that stretched in all directions as far as the eye could... More