Thinking of visiting Murphys Point Provincial Park, about 20 minutes south of Perth, Ontario? Here’s everything you need to know for a great day trip or overnight stay in this park on the shore of Big Rideau Lake. (And, yes, there’s no apostrophe in Murphys. Yes, it drives me crazy, too.)
Cover photo courtesy of Ontario Parks.
The park is a great place to get in touch with nature without venturing too far from town. It’s not a huge park—just 1,539 hectares, or about 6 square miles—but it packs a lot of fun into a small area. It’s popular with visitors who enjoy paddling, swimming, fishing, hiking and camping, and it’s great for families. There’s even something here for history buffs! And it’s one of the few provincial parks near Ottawa that’s open in winter, drawing cross-country skiers and snowshoers.
Hiking trails
Murphys Point has seven nature trails ranging from 800m to 5.5km long. The park office usually has an inexpensive trail guide for sale, which gives more detail on several of the trails.
- Lally Homestead Trail (800m): This short, easy loop takes you through fields and woods to a lookout above Black Creek Marsh. You’ll need to drive 3km from the campground to reach the trailhead.
- Beaver Pond Trail (1km): This easy trail takes you past a marshy area.
- Loon Lake Loop (1km): Another easy route, this one runs past two lakes.
- McParland House Trail (1.8km): This easy linear trail is also open to cyclists and brings you to the site of an early 1800s sawmill and farm. It overlaps a bit with the Loon Lake Loop. It also connects you to the Rideau Trail, if you fancy a 387km hike between Ottawa and Kingston!
- Silver Queen Mine Trail (2km): I’ll have more to say about this easy, partial-loop trail later in this post
- Sylvan Trail (2.5km loop): This moderate-difficulty forest trail has some interpretive panels highlighting the region’s ecology and geology; the park lies on the edge of the geologically ancient (and significant) Canadian Shield.
- Point Trail (5.5km loop): This moderate-difficulty trail passes one of the park’s beaches and offers views of Big Rideau Lake.
Fun on the water
- Swimming: Murphys Point has two marked-off beaches, at Hogg Bay and Noble Bay. The drop-off at both is gradual, but note that neither beach has lifeguards.
- Boating: There’s a boat launch on Big Rideau Lake, where motorized boats are allowed. No motorboats are permitted on Loon Lake. From the park, you can explore the wider Rideau Canal Waterway.
- Paddling: Big Rideau Lake is suitable for canoeing, kayaking and standup paddleboarding, although the lake can be windy, so be careful.
- Fishing: You can fish for lake trout, northern pike and bass (smallmouth and largemouth).
The Silver Queen Mine
From 1903 until 1920, part of the land that is now the park was home to the Silver Queen Mine. Ontario Parks has preserved the mica mine, along with some of its abandoned equipment and buildings. You can see the equipment and buildings along the Silver Queen Mine Trail, which has a few interpretive panels that explain what you’re looking at. But the only way to get into the mine is on one of the guided tours offered in summer and fall, when costumed interpreters bring the mine’s hardscrabble history to life. See the park’s website for information on tour dates.
Murphys Point amenities and visitor services
Facilities at Murphys Point Provincial Park include the following:
- visitor centre
- park store (firewood, ice, snacks, some groceries, souvenirs)
- picnic tables (several locations, including the Silver Queen Mine and the main beach at Hogg Bay)
- two barrier-free comfort stations (showers, change rooms, flush toilets)
- canoe, kayak and life jacket rentals
- laundromat
- playground
In summer, park naturalists offer demonstrations and family activities.
Camping
Murphys Point offers car camping (both electrical and non-electrical campsites) and group campsites, as well as a rustic cabin that sleeps five. You can reserve a spot online or by phone on the Ontario Parks reservations website. If you’re hoping for a spot on a summer weekend, reserve as far in advance as possible, as these are often snapped up quickly.
Winter activities
Unlike many provincial parks in Eastern Ontario, Murphys Point Provincial Park is open in the winter. Skiers can take advantage of a network of groomed ski trails, including 14km of classic trails, 8km of back-country trails and 4km of skate-skiing trails. The Tay Valley Cross Country Ski Club maintains the trails, and you can find a trail map and lots more information on the club’s website.
Snowshoers are welcome on the park’s hiking trails in winter, but these are not groomed.
If you go to Murphys Point Provincial Park
Murphys Point Provincial Park is located at 2243 Elmgrove Road, Perth. That’s about 20 minutes south of Perth, Ontario, and 103km southwest of Parliament Hill.
You’ll need to pay a daily vehicle permit entry fee, as well as campsite fees if you’re staying overnight; see the park’s website for current prices. Note that your vehicle permit includes fees for cross-country skiing in winter.
For more information on the park’s history, ecology and conservation, as well as events and volunteer activities, check the Friends of Murphys Point Park website.
Looking for something else to see and do near the Murphys Point Provincial Park? Here are a few options.
You can also check Lanark County’s tourism website.
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
