The best camping in Murphys Point Provincial Park, ON

An hour southwest of Ottawa, Murphys Point Provincial Park is situated on Big Rideau Lake, part of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site. History and heritage form a huge part of the park’s identity and its summer interpretive programs, while the area’s nature and bird watching opportunities are supreme—warblers, hawks, owls, and orioles are frequently spotted. In addition to traditional car camping, Murphys Point Provincial Park offers water-accessible backcountry campsites for paddlers, plus a camp cottage with a kitchen, a glamping tent, and a deluxe yurt.

• Best for groups: The Round Lake Campground has three lakeside group sites that can accommodate between 12 and 50 people each. 
• Best for big RVs: Hogg Bay Campground can accommodate large vehicles with pull-through sites and electrical hookups.
• Best for tents: Fallows Campground is designed with tents in mind (though some spots do accommodate small trailers).

1. The Ontario Parks system allows reservations up to five months in advance. If you’re counting on booking a yurt, cabin, or deluxe tent, note that these particular reservations fill up very early on.
2. If you miss out on a spot, check availability again at the four-month mark—this is the earliest that reservations can be changed or cancelled so you might be lucky and pick up a newly available site.
3. If everything seems full, you can also wait until the very last minute. If existing campers leave early, they get a full refund when they cancel their last night before 12pm. If any free spots are going to open up, it will be right around noon.

Murphys Point Provincial Park is open from mid-May until mid-October and again from mid-December to mid-March for winter day use. Like many parks, Murphys Point bans alcohol on Victoria Day and for the 10 days preceding it. Both Canada Day weekend (July 1) and the August Civic Holiday weekend (the first Monday of the month) are very busy. July and August are popular times to visit.

• If you want to go backcountry camping, you’ll need an interior camping permit. Print them at home (within 14 days of your trip) or get one at the park office when you arrive.
• If staying in one of Murphys Point Provincial Park’s cabins or glamping units, you’ll need to bring your own bedding, kitchen basics (like pots, pans, and dishes), along with your own food and personal items.

• History buffs can sign up for a guided tour of the Silver Queen Mine (the park supplies the hardhats!) and also visit the resorted McParlan House, the location of an 1800s sawmill and now a registered archaeological site within the park.