Crystal Cave is a beautiful cave in Sequoia National Park and one of 240 known caves in the park. Amazing polished marble chambers and formations decorate the walls and ceilings. At a constant 48 degrees, Pleistocene era fossils and minerals are protected among stalactites and stalagmites. Crystal Cave is a must see and a great way to discover the subterranean of Sequoia.
#118 Chumash Painted Cave
Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park outside of Santa Barbara protects a sandstone cave adorned with Native American rock art. These Pictographs are thought to depict the universe as seen through the eyes of the Native Chumash. The Chumash lived on the Central Coast from Ventura County to San Luis Obispo County as well as the Channel Islands for thousands and thousands of years. Painted Cave provides an important glimpse into the past of Native Americans.
#80 Painted Rock
Painted Rock in the Carrizo Plain National Monument is an amazing pictograph rock art site. Thousands of years old, these pictographs were created by the Chumash, Salinan and Yokut Natives. The pigments were created from a yucca shrub while they were painted using brushes made of rodent hair. Although the meanings are now lost, the art remains sacred. Access to the site is via a rough dirt road and limited to guided tours from March to May and is a 1.4 mile hike. The rest of the year you need to register online to gain access to this federally protected site.
Pictograph/Petroglpyh Etiquette: Take many photos but DO NOT TOUCH. Oils from our hands can destroy forever. Do not alter the rock art in any way or form and please stay on the trail to protect the fragile desert ecosystem.
#65 La Jolla Sea Cave
Sunny Jim's Sea Cave in La Jolla is the only one of the seven sea caves that you can walk into. L. Frank Baum, the writer of 'The Wizard of Oz', named the cave after British Force Wheat Cereal in the 1920's because the opening of the cave resembled its mascot. 145 steps lead you down into the cave whose sandstone is estimated to be 75 million years old.
