Jeronimo - 3-24-2005 at 10:42 PM
Hola: I have the Sierra San Francisco on my upcomming spring break family trip and hope to show my wife and daughter the cave paintings there (the
ones nearby the road). After making the drive in, I need to know if there are any nice spots to camp. Anyone have specific experience? Thanks,
Jeronimo
Neal Johns - 3-25-2005 at 09:14 AM
There are several nice flat camping spots on the road up the mountain. You could also camp on the outskirts of the village.
That said, you can't go off in the bush very far without a guide in this restricted (by INAH, the government archeological agency) area. To see most
of the cave paintings (highly recommended), you sign in at San Ignacio INAH, get a guide(s) assigned, meet him in the village and take a day long
mule ride down into the canyon, primitive camp there for a few days amonst the stream and palms and day hike (easy) to the cave painting sites. You
must provide food for the guides. It is quite inexpensive for the guides and mules/burros. Go do it!
David K - 3-25-2005 at 06:54 PM
... and if you just want to see the one near the road (El Raton), you still must have a guide with you...
Here is why, it insures that you don't touch the rock art or damage it...
And (mostly for us good people who wouldn't dare do something so stupid), it gives an economy to the people who live up there (mostly the Arce family
clan).
It might be possible to go to the village and request a guide for Cueva El Raton... but do go to San Ignacio first if you want to go down into San
Pablo Canyon (mule ride, overnight camping, no fires) and see the giant art that Erle Stanley Garder so well publicized in the 1960's.
I have some never before published photos at http://choralpepper.com of San Francisco and the Gardner expedition.