From its wilderness origins, the now-abandoned area went on to host those in need, from the underprivileged in Chicago to those displaced by Hurricane Katrina, veterans and school groups on retreat from bustling cities.

For more than 100 years, the camp was a respite, a getaway for so many, said Wendy Kummerer, communications manager for the McHenry County Conservation District, which owns the camp’s 116 acres along Cary Road in an unincorporated area near Algonquin.

What becomes of it will impact many, she said.

“It’s going to touch a lot of lives and a lot of hearts,” she said.

Established in 1907 on a mere 20 acres, Camp Algonquin closed last year. Its more than 50 buildings now sit empty in varying states of disrepair.

Through the input of the public, developers and township, park, village and county officials, the conservation district continues to plan its future.

A public hearing is planned for August, with final approval expected in November, Kummerer said.

“The commentary has been all over, from making it trails, to trying to revamp some of the buildings, to trying to add a historical aspect, to getting more access to the Fox River,” she said.

“That is a nice stretch of the Fox River … a great piece of property.”

The land dates to the mid-1800s, when the Gillian family crossed the Fox River and set up camp. The family is recognized historically as the first white settlers of McHenry County, though it wasn’t until 1836 that McHenry County officially formed.

At the time the camp closed, at least 10,000 people a year, most of them school groups, were enjoying the nature it offered.

The YMCA of McHenry County had been leasing the site, but went bankrupt. When the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago bought McHenry County’s YMCA, continuing to lease Camp Algonquin was not part of the deal.

Since, Kummerer said the conservation district has incorporated the camp into plans for the nearby 163-acre Fox Bluff conservation area.

That area, located within the village of Cary, is bordered by Cary-Algonquin Road, the Fox River and Cold Springs Road.

When the district acquired Fox Bluff in 2003, it set out to provide recreation opportunities, such as hiking, nature observation, and access to the Fox River.

Combined, the camp and Fox Bluff make up 273 acres of future opportunities, officials say.

“We’re going through a master planning process and looking at both of those parcels together as to what their future will entail,” Kummerer said.

Factoring into the plans is the county’s desire to reserve a right-of-way through Camp Algonquin for a possible future road over the Fox River. Because of this, the county went in on the conservation district’s original purchase of Camp Algonquin in 2004, funding about 12 percent of the price for the land, officials say.

“They haven’t abandoned that idea [for a road],” Kummerer said.