What to Do With Former Camp Algonquin Site?

The public will soon get to sound off on the future use for the site of a former overnight camp. 

On Thursday, the McHenry County Conservation District will reveal what it proposes be done with the 279 acres of its Fox Bluff area, which includes the former site of Camp Algonquin, said Austin Taylor, associate landscape architect for the MCCD. The land is located west of Cold Springs Road and between Cary Algonquin Road and the Fox River. 

The public will be able to review the MCCD's draft master plan for the Fox Bluff area and provide feedback during an open house Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road in Crystal Lake.

A full story on the upcoming public meeting will be posted tomorrow on Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch. Until then, we would like to hear from Algonquin-Patch readers on what they would like to see done with what could be a prime location for recreational use for the area. Tell us by commenting below. 

Here is some more information on the land.  

The northern 163 acres of the Fox Bluff area includes a half-mile of Fox River access, a .25-mile paved trail down to the Fox River, a .55-mile grass trail on the northern portion of the land, and is open to the public for hiking, cross-country skiing and fishing. The conservation district has a paved parking lot, picnic shelter and restrooms available on the facility. 

Here is a map of the Fox Bluff Conservation area

The 116 acres of the former Camp Algonquin, which is currently closed to the public, has buildings of various sizes in varying conditions currently dotting its property. 

The natural resources throughout the property include woodlands, wetlands, fens, wet prairies and 3,500 linear feet of shorline along the Fox River, according to the MCCD website. The topography is steep with varying slopes and ravines with an elevation change of 150 feet across the sire, showcasing unique ravine and bluff natural communities, according to the MCCD site.