Corral Canyon Cave in Malibu is so plagued with graffitiing Jim Morrison fans that it's been closed to the public. The cave was popular with hikers as a place to get a great view of Malibu Creek State Park, according to the L.A. Times. However, a surge in tourism happened after a rumor spread, largely via the Internet, that Doors frontman Jim Morrison had used the cave to write his songs. Since then, a deluge of visitors have been hiking up to the cave.
Craig Sap, district superintendent for the Angeles District of California State Parks, told KPCC that in the last several months, it's been a constant stream of 100 or so people a day stopping by. And the graffiti got even worse after someone painted the entire inside of the cave a bright pink color, leading to a number of vandals covering up old Native American cave paintings with Doors lyrics and trippy drawings.
"It's a creative outlet for them. Unfortunately, it's a destructive creative outlet," Sap said.
Visitors have also been leaving behind trash, and as the area isn't meant for so many people, there are no public toilets. So, you can imagine what problems that could cause, both from a sanitation perspective and when it comes to disturbing the local wildlife.
Thus, the cave was closed to the public on May 2, according to All Things Malibu. Because the rocks are made of sandstone, which is particularly absorbent, removing the paint can be difficult. Crews will blast cave walls with walnut shells to get rid of the paint, while still preserving the rock. This whole ordeal will cost about $40,000, and it's unclear when the cave will reopen.
Those who attempt to sneak into the cave during this closure will face a misdemeanor and a $400 fine, while taggers may be charged with a felony and heavily fined.
The strangest part of the whole story might be that there's no evidence to suggest that Morrison ever wrote any songs here, or was ever even inside the cave, at all. Still, even on Yelp, the cave is referred to as "Jim Morrison's Cave."
While you can't go inside the cave anymore, you can check it out in its pre-cleanup state via a VR video via Bryan Chan and the Times. Sweeping around, you can see exactly how much graffiti there is, and it looks like people have even carved things into the rock.
