A photo of a cave entrance

Caves in the alcove in Painted Rock have formed from the gradual weathering of irregularly-cemented sandstone. In the past, wind-blown dust and soil probably filled the alcove to higher levels and chemical weathering associated with shallow groundwater may have assisted in the development of the caves. The overhangs in and around Painted Rock are some of the only natural shelter areas in a large region and must have been attractive destinations to the earliest people utilizing the Soda Lake area.