Murphys Point Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Murphys Point Provincial Park is a provincial park
near Perth, Ontario
. The 1239 hectare park features natural areas prepared for hiking or skiing as well as access for day-use, camping
and water sports at Big Rideau Lake
. Facilities include a Park Store, Visitor's Centre and several "Comfort Centres", with flush toilets, showers and laundry facilities for the multi-day camper.
It also hosts the restored early 20th-century "Silver Queen" mica
mine
, the ruins of a sawmill
and several historic pioneer buildings including the Lally Homestead
. The area was mined for mica
, feldspar
, and apatite
. During the summer season guides tours are offered to visitors who would like to see the inside of a pioneer-style mine.
The park includes five nature trails varying in length from the 1-km Loon Lake Trial to the 6.5-km Rideau Trail. The park is home to a variety of mammals, including deer
, fox, mink
, beaver
, coyote
, porcupine
and otter. Many loons inhabit Big Rideau Lake along with five species of turtle
s, eight species of amphibian
s, and eight species of snakes, including Canada's largest, but harmless, black rat snake
.
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
near Perth, Ontario
Perth, Ontario
Perth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
. The 1239 hectare park features natural areas prepared for hiking or skiing as well as access for day-use, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and water sports at Big Rideau Lake
Big Rideau Lake
The Big Rideau Lake is a lake situated in the province of Ontario , Canada. The lake is located to the southwest of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It is long and is wide. The lake is much narrower at its northeastern end than at its southwestern end. The lake forms part of the Rideau Waterway,...
. Facilities include a Park Store, Visitor's Centre and several "Comfort Centres", with flush toilets, showers and laundry facilities for the multi-day camper.
It also hosts the restored early 20th-century "Silver Queen" mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, the ruins of a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and several historic pioneer buildings including the Lally Homestead
Homestead (buildings)
A homestead is either a single building, or collection of buildings grouped together on a large agricultural holding, such as a ranch, station or a large agricultural operation of some other designation.-See also:* Farm house* Homestead Act...
. The area was mined for mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
, feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
, and apatite
Apatite
Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually referring to hydroxylapatite, fluorapatite, chlorapatite and bromapatite, named for high concentrations of OH−, F−, Cl− or Br− ions, respectively, in the crystal...
. During the summer season guides tours are offered to visitors who would like to see the inside of a pioneer-style mine.
The park includes five nature trails varying in length from the 1-km Loon Lake Trial to the 6.5-km Rideau Trail. The park is home to a variety of mammals, including deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, fox, mink
American Mink
The American mink is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to North America, though human intervention has expanded its range to many parts of Europe and South America. Because of this, it is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Since the extinction of the sea mink, the American mink is the...
, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
and otter. Many loons inhabit Big Rideau Lake along with five species of turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s, eight species of amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s, and eight species of snakes, including Canada's largest, but harmless, black rat snake
Black Rat Snake
The Western ratsnake — also called black rat snake, pilot black snake, or simply black snake — is a nonvenomous colubrid species found in North America. No subspecies are currently recognized....
.