Type
Cave
Location
41.7319°N 121.5229°W
Big Painted Cave is a lava tube reached by the Symbol Bridge Trail, named for the Native American pictographs at its entrance. It sits along the same short trail as Symbol Bridge Cave.
Details
- Type
- Cave
- Accessibility
- Limited accessibility
What to expect
Big Painted Cave is short, around 266 feet, and rated among the least challenging caves to enter. The draw is the rock art near the entrance, painted by Native peoples and now fragile. Do not touch the paintings or any cultural material, since the pigment is easily damaged. A helmet and three light sources are required for the cave itself, though the pictographs sit in the lit entrance area.
Getting there
The trail to Big Painted and Symbol Bridge is about 0.8 mile one way, leaving from a marked lot off the main monument road.