Hiking the Scenic 10.5 Mile Chapel Loop at Pictured Rocks

Are you ready for what could arguably be the most scenic hike in all of the country? The 10.5 mile Chapel Loop is located at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and is an amazing hike that brings you past waterfalls and massive sandstone cliffs. Let's go!

The trailhead for the Chapel Loop is located about 30 minutes away from Munising so before heading out, we stopped at Muldoon's to get pasties for food out on the trail. The final 5 miles or so to get to the trailhead are dirt roads. When we arrived we geared up as we knew we would be on the trail for a long time and it was a hot day. Water, bug spray, sunscreen and of course the pasties were part of what we brought with us in our backpacks. Make sure to bring water out to the trailhead as there is no water available there. 

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The first decision was made right at the trailhead and that was to go towards Mosquito Falls first. As the hiking segments through the forest are great, we will be pointing out the highlights along the trail. That leads us to our first feature, Mosquito Falls. This waterfall is located along the Mosquito River and has a few different spots of cascading falls including a main waterfall area.  

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After spending some time checking out the first waterfall we continued our hike towards our next stopping point, which was Mosquito Beach. When we arrived at Mosquito Beach, this was our first views of Lake Superior and the actual Pictured Rocks lakeshore. We spent some time on the beach and even used this opportunity to be on the Lake Superior's edge to dip some cooling towels in the cold water.

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From here, the hike only gets better. For the next 4.5 miles the entire trail is along the shoreline and towers above Lake Superior. The views are truly incredible. Our goal was not to complete this hike at a fast pace, but more to enjoy the scenery along the way and make a full day out of it. This stretch of the trail includes endless views, including Lovers Leap, Indian Head, waterfalls flowing over the edge of the cliffs and endless spots to take in the views of the sandstone cliffs and out into Lake Superior. As a bonus, this stretch is also part of the North Country Trail. 

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The stretch along the lakeshore ends at Chapel Beach and Chapel Rock. This is one of those beaches that is truly part of earned fun. There is not a parking lot close by and a commitment to hiking is required to get here. Right before making the turn towards Chapel Falls is Chapel Rock. On top of Chapel Rock is a lone Eastern White Pine Tree. The roots from the tree stretch from Chapel Rock to the mainland and is the source for nutrition and survival for the tree. There are an estimated 14 billion trees in Michigan and this one has to be the most famous. 

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Overall this hike feels like it is broken up into 3 segments. The trailhead to Mosquito Beach, the stretch along Pictured Rocks and then Chapel Beach back to the trailhead, which includes Chapel Falls. Chapel Falls is 60 feet high and there are multiple viewing areas along the trail. We were happy with our choice to go the direction that we did so we ended with Chapel Falls. It is a spectacular waterfall and a great grand finale. 

We ended up spending about 6.5 hours on the trails while making stops at the landmarks along the way. This brought our total mileage to 11.4 miles. 

Check out the full video below featuring the Chapel Loop