More than 260 years ago, what was then known as Fort Michilimackinac came under attack during Pontiac’s War, a Native American attempt to overthrow British rule in the Great Lakes. Under the guise of a lacrosse game, a coalition of warriors invaded the fort and routed the British who controlled it. Twenty people were killed, some of them scalped alive.
The English fur trader Alexander Henry fled.
Henry was friends with the Ojibwe warrior Wawatam, who protected the Englishman during the assault by bringing him off the mainland to Mackinac Island. He spent the night there in hiding, finding refuge in a shallow cave.
When he woke up in the morning light, Henry discovered with horror that he was lying on a heap of human bones that covered the cave’s floor!
History of Mackinac Island’s Skull Cave
Skull Cave is one of Mackinac Island’s oldest geological features. As ancient high water levels eroded much of the softer rock in the area around that became the cave, the limestone in the immediate surroundings endured. Then, as the water receded, waves crashed into the base of that limestone stack and hollowed out what we know today as Skull Cave.
For centuries, Native Americans buried people on Mackinac Island, and Skull Cave became a common burial site – right through the time that Alexander Henry happened upon it.
Today, Skull Cave no longer is used as a burial site, but it remains mostly intact – awaiting explorers looking for adventure off the beaten path. The small, shallow cave is about a mile walk from downtown Mackinac Island, located up behind Fort Mackinac near the corner of Garrison and Rifle Range roads, not far from Mackinac Island’s modern-day cemeteries. Road signs will direct you there for a cool Mackinac Island photo op dripping in fascinating history.
To preserve the cave and show respect for its past as a sacred burial site, access to Skull Cave is restricted and you cannot go past a fence and into the cave.
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More Mackinac Island Caves and Geologic Landmarks
Skull Cave is just one of many interesting landmarks to find on Mackinac Island, including other caves as well as other limestone stacks that rise above the surrounding terrain. Here are five more Mackinac Island sites with a geologic history similar to Skull Cave:
- Eagle Point Cave – This natural hollow is larger than Skull Cave and you can get right into it – if you can find it. It’s just off Mackinac Island’s longest trail, the Tranquil Bluff Trail, on the north side of the island a few miles out of downtown.
- Devil’s Kitchen – Evil spirits who inhabit this small cave along the western shore of Mackinac Island will capture and eat people who get too close, according to legend. It’s easily accessible while walking or biking the 8.2-mile loop around Mackinac Island and great for a photo op against the blackened limestone – burned perhaps by the cooking fires of cannibalistic spirits.
- Sugar Loaf – This massive limestone stack rises 75 feet above the ground near the center of Mackinac Island. The rock was a tiny island itself, once upon a time, and got shaped by erosion into a tall stack as glacial waters receded. Get a great view of Sugar Loaf from nearby Point Lookout, one of Mackinac Island’s highest points.
- Arch Rock – One of the most visited natural features of Mackinac Island, this 50-foot wide limestone arch stands 145 feet above Lake Huron on the eastern shore. It’s easily accessible by foot, bike or horse-drawn carriage and also can be viewed from below on a perimeter tour of the island or from the water on a kayak.
- Cave of the Woods – Located near Crack in the Island not far from the Mackinac Island Airport, the ancient Cave of the Woods was hollowed out by crashing waves just like Skull Cave, back when water levels were much higher than they are now.
All of these sites are accessible on foot or bicycle and, in some cases, by horse-drawn carriage. Here are maps of Mackinac Island and information on Mackinac Island bicycle rentals and horse-drawn carriage tours.
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