I Wonder… What Mysteries Lie in Great Spirit Rock Shelter?

Nestled just 1.7 miles inside the current entrance of Dogwood Canyon, along the banks of Dogwood Creek, stands a towering limestone bluff over 40 feet tall. Known as Great Spirit Rock Shelter, this natural wonder is one of the park’s key landmark features. But the Great Spirit Rock Shelter is much more than a majestic modern-day waterfall — it holds a deep historical significance as a vital rock shelter for our nation’s earliest inhabitants. Measuring approximately 65 feet long and 20feet wide, the Great Spirit Rock Shelter was found to have served as a substantial refuge for early Native peoples.

In 1990, Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops, acquired an additional 2,260 acres to expand Dogwood Canyon’s landscape. The following year, in 1991, Dogwood’s team began excavations at the site now known as Great Spirit Rock Shelter. While clearing debris and soil, the team unearthed what appeared to be human remains and ancient artifacts, prompting an immediate halt to excavation. Dogwood Canyon then reached out to the archaeological teams from Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU; now known as Missouri State University) and the University of Arkansas (UA), to conduct further investigations on the remains and artifacts.

The SMSU and UA teams recovered and studied the human bone fragments and primitive artifacts from the site. The remains were identified as fragments of a human skull and skeleton, including parts of the frontal bone (forehead), left maxilla (cheek and nasal area),and mandible (jaw), along with eight heavily worn teeth, according to the 1994 Center for Archaeological Research report prepared by Dr. Neal H. Lapinot from SMSU. The mandible’s robust muscle attachments indicated the individual was likely male, and while his exact age couldn’t be determined, evidence of bone fusion and degenerative joint disease suggested he was an older adult.

Carbon dating revealed the remains dated back to the Early Archaic period, approximately 7000–5000 B.C., making them the oldest radiocarbon-dated human remains ever discovered in Missouri.

These discoveries were groundbreaking for both Dogwood Canyon’s history and the broader understanding of the Early Archaic period in the western Ozarks, a subject with limited prior data. The preservation of these remains is remarkable, given the typically acidic Ozark soil, which makes such findings rare. Most Early Archaic burials in the Ozarks region involved the skeletons in semi- or tightly-flexed positions in circular burial pits, with rock shelters – such as Great Spirit Rock Shelter –and caves frequently used as burial sites. The Early Archaic people were nomadic, moving between seasonal camps in small, defined hunting groups. They practiced specialized foraging, fishing, and shellfish collection, making Dogwood Canyon’s lush streams and many rock shelters an ideal environment for habitation.

Today, Dogwood Canyon is far more than a picturesque landscape — it is a living testament to the rich history of the land and the people who first called the Ozarks home. To learn more about Great Spirit Rock Shelter, visit HERE to book your next tour or visit our sister property, the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum at Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve!