Pleasant Valley Conservation Area

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Operated by the McHenry County Conservation District, Pleasant Valley Conservation Area is a large and diverse site, with 1,778 acres of woodland, wetland, and grassland occupying a former youth camp. First settled by Irish farmers in the mid-1800s, the area was purchased by the Chicago Congregational Union in 1953. They built and developed Pleasant Valley Farm, which became a camp for inner-city children to experience the outdoors. Over the years, it became known as Pleasant Valley Outdoor Center. Funding problems closed the camp in the 1990s, and the Conservation District began to purchase parcels in 1994. The site was opened to the public in October 2005.

Newly added land is not depicted on the McHenry County Conservation District 2008 map.
www.mccdistrict.org/web/map.htm