The Sierra Madre Ridge area in northeast Santa Barbara County was an early focus of reconnoitering archaeology. Waldo Wedel and William Duncan Strong excavated several sites in the area and wandered around a large chunk of backcountry acreage in search of baskets and other archaeological remains. In so doing they provided information that, in conjunction with more recent findings, suggests that the Sierra Madre Ridge was a seasonal gathering place for villages in the Cuyama and Sisquoc drainages.