The Chapel/Mosquito Loop in Pictured Rocks is perhaps one of the most visited portions of the trail. This trip, my mom and I decided to taken 6.6 miles (RT) of the trail that included Chapel Falls, Chapel Rock, and Chapel Beach.

Chapel Falls

The waterfall is about 60 feet tall and cascades down rock face into Chapel Lake.  Just above the “lower drop” is another small drop and a wooden bridge that is very picturesque.

Chapel Rock

We left the traffic of Chapel Falls behind and moved onward towards Chapel Rock. Never being past the falls before, this part of the hike was a treat for me. The trail narrows and isn’t wide enough for two people to walk side by side in most places. The trees grow in close and cover the trail, which provided a much needed relief for us to the extreme heat of the day. Hiking another 1.8 miles on an easy trail, brought us to the large rock formation known as Chapel Rock.

Chapel Rock, although beautifully sculpted, has a unique feature growing on top of it; a tree. From a previous trip, I learned that there use to be an archway connecting Chapel Rock to the “main land” but some time ago, the arch collapsed and left the tree with it’s roots stretching across the void. It’s a pretty  neat sight to see up close.

Chapel Beach

Chapel Beach, another .1 mile from Chapel Rock, is very active. Chapel Creek empties into Lake Superior and creates a small waterfall as it slides down sandstone to the beach. We didn’t stay long due to the black flies. I took a quick swim in Lake Superior and then back to the woods for the return 3.3 mile hike.

If you continue to follow the trail, it’ll take you in a loop past Mosquito Falls and eventually back to the trail head. I believe it’s close to a 10 mile hike all together.