Campgrounds and RV parks near Drummond/North Elmsley, ON

Big Rideau Lake anchors most outdoor activity, with boating, swimming, fishing and paddling available from waterfront campgrounds and public launches. Murphys Point Provincial Park has hiking trails, two beaches, guided tours of the restored Silver Queen Mica Mine, and a boat launch, with lantern-lit evening ghost walks to the mine also offered in season. The Rideau Canal itself is open for boating, kayaking and canoeing along its full length. The Mississippi River near Mal's Camping is well known for fishing, boating and canoeing, and Mal's Camping offers a sandy beach, playground and courts for basketball, tennis and pickleball. From Waterways RV Resort, boaters can access Big Rideau Lake directly. Day trips include Silver Lake Provincial Park west along Highway 7, the historic streets of Perth, and the Rideau Canal locks in Smiths Falls.

The camping season in eastern Ontario is short and tracks the four-season climate. Most private campgrounds and the provincial park operate roughly mid-May through mid-October. Mal's Camping runs from the second weekend in May to the last Sunday of September, and Waterways RV Resort operates on a seasonal schedule. Murphys Point Provincial Park is open for camping from mid-May until mid-October, then reopens mid-December to mid-March for winter day use with groomed cross-country ski trails. July and August are the peak booking window. Canada Day weekend and the August Civic Holiday weekend are the busiest dates, and popular provincial park sites for those weekends are often claimed within minutes of the five-month reservation window opening at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Murphys Point, like many Ontario Parks, bans alcohol on Victoria Day and for the ten days preceding it. Black flies emerge from mid-spring through June, mosquitoes peak in late spring and run through autumn frost, and ticks can be active any time snow is off the ground. May, June and September offer cooler nights, fewer crowds and easier last-minute availability.

Site setups vary widely. Murphys Point has electrical pull-through sites in Hogg Bay for larger trailers, a mixed electrical and non-electrical loop at Ash Hill, and non-electrical loops at Hardwood and Fallows suited to tents and small trailers. Comfort stations with flush toilets, showers and laundry are available, along with a park store, beaches and a boat launch. A rustic camp cabin sleeps five and includes a kitchenette, with a two-night minimum stay and three nights required on long weekends. Waterways RV Resort offers full-service sites on Big Rideau Lake. Mal's Camping has large treed grassy lots, a sandy beach, laundry and a range of service levels including sites with electrical, water and sewer hookups. Victoria Park Campground is compact but within walking distance of downtown Smiths Falls and the canal locks. Cell coverage is generally reliable near Perth, Smiths Falls and Portland but can drop on rural backroads.