Painted Rock, Ancient pictograph site in Carrizo Plain, California.
Painted Rock is a horseshoe-shaped sandstone alcove in the Carrizo Plain with a reddish appearance. Its surface holds numerous paintings in multiple colors—red, black, white, yellow, green, and blue—layered on top of each other across the rock face.
Native Americans began painting at this location between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago. Over millennia, different tribes added their own work, and early settlers also left their marks on the rock surface in later centuries.
The rock art comes from the Chumash, Salinan, and Yokuts peoples, who expressed their spiritual beliefs through painted images on stone. These communities used simple tools and techniques that remained visible for thousands of years.
Visitors must arrange a reservation in advance to access this protected site. It is important to follow preservation guidelines and view the rock art from a safe distance without touching or damaging the surface.
The paintings show multiple layers of artwork from different eras, with each generation adding their own marks to the stone. These overlapping images let visitors see how the artistic style changed across thousands of years.
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