Top 3 Lakes around Rideau Lakes

Murphy's Point Provincial Park protects a classic Canadian Shield landscape of granite ridges, mixed forest, wetlands, and lakeshore. The park is particularly known for its excellent hiking trails, wildlife viewing, and the historic Silver Queen Mica Mine, one of the few mines in Ontario open for guided tours. With direct access to Big Rideau Lake and a network of well-maintained trails, it's one of the region's best places to experience eastern Ontario's natural scenery.

This easy loop combines many of the park's best features into a relatively short walk. The trail winds through mature forest, crosses smooth Canadian Shield bedrock, and repeatedly returns to the shoreline of Big Rideau Lake. Frequent openings in the trees provide views across the lake and surrounding islands, while the mostly level terrain makes for a relaxed hike. It's an excellent introduction to Murphy's Point Provincial Park's mix of forest, granite outcrops, and lakeshore scenery.

Take Meditation Trail, a short spur off Orange Maple Trail, to the shores of Upper Rideau Lake to get a wonderful view across the water. Upper Rideau Lake is the highest point in the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site, sitting at 125 meters above sea level.

Rock Dunder Conservation Area is a gorgeous spot that sits above Morton Bay and is part of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO site managed by the Rideau Waterway Land Trust. There are over seven kilometres of well-marked trails through beautiful woodlands and along lovely shorelines before reaching a rocky lookout that rises 84 metres above the lakes below. It’s a fantastic place to spend some time outdoors and enjoy nature.

There used to be one lake, but Colonel By decided to raise the water level on Westport side to make construction of the canal to Newborough easier. It's a busy spot. Washrooms and picnic tables.

Colonel By added a lock here separating Big Rideau Lake from Upper Rideau Lake to raise the level of Upper Rideau Lake. This allowed him to reduce the cost of building the canal to Newboro Lake. The washrooms and picnic area are open during the boating season only (roughly from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving).