State Historic Park

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park

Santa Barbara County, CaliforniaAbout 10 acresEstablished 1976
Status
Open (per official listing)
Entrance fee
Statewide rule — see below
Day-use reservations
None mentioned
Dogs
Statewide rule — see below
Camping
None listed
Official site
parks.ca.gov(805) 733-3713

Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current

Overview

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park is a 10-acre historic site in Santa Barbara County, about 6 miles northeast of Goleta.

Visitors come for historic sites and hiking.

Hours

Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.

FacilityDaysHoursSeason
The park’s wording doesn’t give clock times — see the official wording below.
Official wording

dawn ‘til dusk

Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).

Fees and passes

Per vehicle at most parks (vehicles of 9 people or less, walk/bike-in free); per person at State Historic Parks and museums; amounts vary by park and are listed on each park page.

Statewide fee rule from California's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.

California park passes

  • California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
  • Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
  • Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
  • Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
  • SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details

From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.

Reservations

Day use
No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
Booking system
ReserveCalifornia
Phone
(800) 444-7275

Check availability and book

We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.

Pets

See the park’s wording

Are dogs allowed?

Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.

Things to do

Historic sites and toursHiking

Amenities

Facilities

  • Nature center or museum

✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.

Getting there

Address
2700 Painted Cave Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Nearest town
Goleta — about 6 mi northeast (straight line)
Coordinates
34.5044, -119.7879
Phone
(805) 733-3713

Entrances

  • Directions point

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)

Directions from the park

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.

Nearby state parks

Sources and freshness

“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology

Report a correction for this park