While many know Leo Carrillo State Park as a beach from the biodiversity perspective; its plethora of glittering tide pools are a staple to any visit to this particular beach. Others may know this beach for its caves. Still others know Leo Carrillo as a beach that is great for surfing or sailing. What is less known, however, is the vast history behind the beach. The first time I visited Leo Carrillo State Park was several years ago as an archaeology major with the Moorpark College Archaeology Program (MCAP).
When my archaeology program visited this beach, we learned about the native Chumash people who lived on this beach. Some archaeologists believe Leo Carrillo may have been inhabited by the Chumash as long ago as 6,000 BC. The Chumash were masters of boat building; their particular specialty of boat is called the tomol. Tomols were used for fishing and sailing to the Channel Islands to trade. Paddling to the Channel Islands by tomol is also an ancient Chumash tradition that is still carried on to this day. Evidence of their existence is still seen today through the various shell middens found along the coast. A shell midden is the technical term for trash heap. When the Spanish came to California in the 1700s, most of the Chumash people either died of diseases or were forced to live in the missions, therefore ending their inhabitance of the Leo Carrillo beach.
Another historic fun fact about the beach is that it was named after Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo, a vaudeville, television, and film star from the early 1900s until his death in 1961. The beach was named after him because he was a huge proponent of coastal access, serving nearly 15 years on the State Beaches and Parks Commission and acting as a key player in the acquisition of much of the coastal land that now belongs to the state in the Malibu area.
While many visit Leo Carrillo State Park for its tide pools and caves, this beach has proven to also have a colorful history, full of different characters and players, including Native Americans and movie stars.
