Pictured Rocks Chapel Loop
- Nicholas Clark
- Feb 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 17
While camping at North Higgins Lake State Park with my family (all twenty of us spread across multiple campsites!), we were chatting around the fire about some cool hikes we’d been on. Somehow, the conversation led us to decide on a four-hour drive to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The next day, after checking the weather, we finalized our plans. Our group would consist of Stacey, Ryan, Wally, Colt, Mason, and I. We all piled into our Acura MDX—the same fancy SUV that got stuck in the snow in my snowmobiling post (if you haven't read it, check it out!).https://www.beardedadventures.net/post/snowmobiling-adventure-in-michigan-s-wintery-upper-peninsula
The morning of the hike arrived, Stacey and I were up. The four boys/young men zombie-walked into the car and promptly fell back asleep, which was understandable considering the early start. My goal was to reach Munising by breakfast time. A 10.5-mile hike, plus any side trails we wanted to explore, would take up most of the day. The forecast called for rain all day back at camp, but four hours north in Munising, it promised sunshine.
As I’ve mentioned in other blog posts, crossing the Mighty Mac (Mackinac Bridge) is always magical. It feels like entering a fairyland of mountains and waterfalls, leaving the land of the Trolls behind. Maybe that's just me.
After a quick breakfast in Munising, we headed straight to the trailhead, hoping to beat the crowds. The Chapel Rock hike is one of the most popular in the U.P. We planned to hike the Mosquito River, North Country, and Chapel Rock Trail Loop. It’s more of a backpacker’s loop, but we were determined to complete it in a single day—a lot of hiking, but definitely worth it. We arrived at the parking lot to find it, unbelievably, almost empty! We snagged a great spot and geared up for the trail.
Since it’s a loop, you can hike it in either direction. Hiking counter-clockwise means you see some cool sights right away but end with about a 1.5-mile hike through the woods. Not that it's boring, because everything in this part of Michigan is beautiful. We chose to hike clockwise, getting the less visually stimulating part of the hike done first.
Heading towards the Mosquito River Campground, the trail begins alongside the rushing Chapel Creek and winds through a beautiful forest filled with beech trees and different kinds of evergreens. Arriving at the campground, we were surprised to find it empty. We explored the empty camping area then, We walked down to the shore of Lake Superior and discovered a cool rock shelf, not sand like a typical beach.
From there, the trail heads northeast along a section of the North Country Trail, winding in and out of the woods along Lake Superior. Several offshoot trails lead to the cliff’s edge. Wally would experience this firsthand, in a terrifying way.
The four boys, being much younger than Stacey and I, would hike ahead, then stop and wait for us to catch up. At one point, they stopped at a cool overlook called Lover's Leap. Wally, thinking it would be a great spot for a selfie, decided to hang off the cliff, holding onto a tree branch. Mother Nature had other plans, and the branch gave way! Luckily, Ryan was there to grab Wally’s arm before he fell. Stacey and I were unaware of the drama until we caught up and noticed Wally’s ghostly pale face. The boys were all stammering about what had happened. We all gathered our composure with some water and snacks.
Back on the trail, we approached some incredible areas: Indian Head Rock, Grand Portal Point, and Battleship Rock. We spent quite a bit of time exploring these breathtaking sights.
Chapel Beach Falls and Chapel Rock were the next stops. These are truly spectacular, though very crowded in the summer. The water in Lake Superior was surprisingly warm, so we all decided to take a swim at Chapel Beach. The boys stripped down to their shorts, and I went for it in my boxers. Wet shorts for the afternoon didn’t sound fun. We swam, checked out the beach falls, and then put our shoes back on (I even managed to do so without getting my feet sandy by doing a flamingo-like balancing act!).
Chapel Rock is one of the most iconic and photographed landmarks in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It’s a stunning natural rock formation that juts out from the shoreline, topped by a lone white pine tree clinging precariously to life. We hung out, admiring the formation, while the boys discussed how they could climb out there (and how much trouble they'd get into). I reminded them of Wally’s near-fall earlier in the day.
Leaving Lake Superior, we headed south toward Chapel Falls. The trail here is beautiful, with old-growth trees and little underbrush, allowing for long-distance views through the forest. I always love forests like that. Chapel Falls is another must-see in Pictured Rocks. The 60-foot cascade over a sandstone cliff is truly impressive. It’s easy to see why the National Park Service has made this area so accessible. The trail from the trailhead to the falls is wide, flat, and an easy, stable hike for almost anyone.
Back at the car, we set off in search of much-needed food for the long drive back to camp. The drive itself was uneventful, except for crossing the Mackinac Bridge at night—back to the land of the Trolls.
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