Skull Cave

Skull Cave is a small cave on Mackinac Island whose significance rests mainly in its history rather than its geology. Formed in the post-glacial Algonquin period by waters of ancient Lake Algonquin, it later became associated with death and refuge. It is believed to have served in the 18th century as an inhumation site for Native Americans of the Straits of Mackinac region. During Pontiac’s War in 1763, fur trader Alexander Henry hid there after the capture of Fort Michilimackinac and later recalled awakening among human bones and skulls. That episode fixed Skull Cave in the island’s historical memory as a place tied to Indigenous history and fur-trade-era violence.

Mackinac Island, Michigan · United States