In the Chapel Basin area we did the loop hike to Chapel Falls, then Chapel Rock, Chapel Beach, and back around Chapel Lake to finish the loop. About 6.5 miles altogether. The trail is fairly easy and well-maintained, often wide enough to walk side by side. There were a few other people on the trail. Enough to feel safe but not crowded. Chipmunks everywhere! We walked through an area where a bunch of them were making a froggish sound. Kind of a cross between a chirp and a hoot. We wouldn’t have guessed they were the ones making the noise had we not seen one right next to the trail doing it.
There were signs by the rustic campsite at Chapel Rock that a bear had been reported in the area. That prompted lots of bear babble and getting out the bear spray. Thankfully we saw no bears, only chipmunks and a couple of squirrels. We had seen unidentified tracks earlier and saw some unidentified poop. Chapel Falls and Chapel Rock were definitely worth the drive – it was 5 miles of dirt road to get back there – and the hike. There wasn’t a whole lot to see on the other side of the lake other than one overlook, so it might make as much sense to backtrack rather than finish the loop.