The “Fresh Air in the Country” movement in the late 1800s was fueled by the belief that spending time in a rural environment would alleviate the problems of inner city poverty. In 1887, the Chicago Daily News raised money to place mothers and children with farm families for 10 days of good food and healthy outdoor living. The program would be administered by the Charity Organization Society (which later evolved into Metropolitan Family Services) .Finding farm families willing to participate in the program proved to be difficult, and so a camp was built near the railroad tracks in Highland Park. To advertise the program, the children at camp were given a straw hat, and were taught that when a train approached, they were to run to the fence, climb on it and wave their hats as the train went by.  

A second root of Camp Algonquin is Camp Goodwill ,established in 1897 by the Forest Avenue Branch of the First Congregational Church of Oak Park, to serve mothers and children from the West side of Chicago. Food and entertainment were provided by members of the various community churches. The camp was viewed as a way “to break down the needless barriers between those who have and those who have not”.   In 1905, the Chicago Tribune established a hospital for sick mothers and their babies. The hospital was located in a former summer hotel in Glen Ellyn. These various programs combined with the 1907 purchase of land in Algonquin by the Chicago Tribune and the Bureau of Charities (which later became Metropolitan Family Services). Twenty acres along the Fox River were purchased at $350 an acre. The original site consisted of one building - an old barn.  

The focus of the camping program was on nutrition and physical health:  sunshine, fresh air and food. The annual report listed the average weight gains of campers. Over time, the focus of camp’s services expanded. By 1923, educational and recreational activities were considered part of the camp mission.  Children from the Stockyard district were often too ill to attend Camp Algonquin. A special camp, Camp Harlowarden, was established to provide medical attention and proper nutrition for children suffering from Tuberculosis. This camp moved in 1922 to a 5 acre site adjacent to Camp Algonquin. As health conditions improved, the need for a camp specializing in ill children diminished, and in 1939 Camp Harlowarden merged with Camp Algonquin. 

Camp Algonquin began addressing other issues facing families and communities such as inter-racial, inter-cultural relations. Camp worked closely with families to link them to other available social services.  Starting in the 1960s, camp offered a therapeutic camping program that encouraged individual growth. Therapeutic camping drew from the disciplines of social work, education, psychiatry and recreation, serving campers diagnosed as having behavioral or emotional problems. 

During the last twenty years, changes took place that allowed Camp to serve more campers. Several of the buildings were winterized which allowed year round utilization. Sixty acres of land was donated by the Donnelley family. The Teams Course was built on Donnelley Acres followed, by the High Ropes Course.  Until 2003 Camp Algonquin offered summer camp program for economically disadvantaged youth ages 8 -14, mothers and children ages 1-14 and senior adults. The program was designed to encourage respect for others, to increase understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity, to develop personal strengths and self-worth and to promote environmental stewardship. 

 In 2004, Metropolitan Family Services sold the property to the McHenry County Conservation District, and is managed by the YMCA of McHenry County. Now Camp Algonquin is known as YMCA Camp Algonquin and the Outdoor Education and Challenge Course are run under the name of Fox Valley Center for Outdoor Learning at YMCA Camp Algonquin.

 Year round, specialized programming and use of the facility is utilized by a diverse population through collaboration with schools, social service agencies, substance abuse treatment centers, religious organizations and other human services. A wide variety of educational, experiential, and recreational programs are available to groups of all ages. These year-round retreat services continue the mission to assist those in need and enhance the growth of families, individuals and groups.