Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Michigan / Eastern Upper Peninsula

Pictured Rocks Chapel and Mosquito Beach Overnight

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Chapel Road trailhead)

This loop from the Chapel Road trailhead takes in two Lake Superior beaches, two waterfalls, and the cliff-top stretch of the North Country Trail between them, in the middle of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It makes a short overnight with a night at Mosquito River or Chapel Beach campground.

Hiking Project puts the loop at 10.6 miles with about 760 feet of climbing.

The hike

Hiking Project describes the loop in this order: through the wooded Mosquito River basin to Mosquito Beach, then east along the North Country Trail on the sandstone cliff edges to Chapel Beach, then back past Chapel Falls and Chapel Lake on the Chapel Rock Trail to the trailhead. The Mosquito Falls Trail is an alternate way down to the beach. Backpacker says Mosquito Beach falls near mile 3 of the loop, and that the 0.9-mile Mosquito Falls spur is a place where river otters and beavers are seen.

The cliff section is the main event. Hiking Project mentions overlooks of cliffs, arches, and rockfalls, and Seeking Lost’s writer, who hiked a longer version in July 2016, called Grand Portal Point a highlight for its colored rock bands and blue water. The NPS mileage chart puts Mosquito River and Chapel Beach campgrounds 4.4 miles apart on this stretch.

At Chapel Beach, Hiking Project says you cross the creek to see Chapel Rock; the NPS lists Chapel Rock itself as a closed area. An optional out-and-back continues east about 1.6 miles each way to Spray Falls.

The NPS warns that much of this part of the park sits atop 50- to 200-foot cliffs with loose sand, gravel, and unsupported overhangs. Hiking Project adds, “Expect high winds and blowing sand at the overlooks,” and “Plan for biting flies and mosquitoes, particularly at the two beach areas.” There is no water at the parking area.

For the full 42-mile traverse, see the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail.

Tips

Camping

The NPS requires a backcountry permit for every overnight stay, reserved on Recreation.gov or by phone and printed up to 14 days ahead; a reservation confirmation is not a permit. Chapel Beach has six individual sites and Mosquito River has five plus a group site, per the 2026 planner. Individual sites hold one to six people. Both have pit toilets and food lockers, and both draw water from their creek or Lake Superior; boil it for one minute or use a one-micron filter. Camp within 15 feet of your numbered post. No campfires at either campground, no pets, no drones.

Inside Intel: Backpacker suggests staying overnight at Mosquito Beach rather than passing through, quoting photographer Steve Perry’s advice to “plan to linger.” A reviewer on The Dyrt who stayed at Chapel site 6 praised its beach access and called the views “breathtaking.”

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Wind and blowing sand above Chapel Beach:

Hiking Project warns of high winds at the overlooks on this loop, and Lake Superior storms come up fast. See the tents reviewers trust in rough weather.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.