History

Camp Icaghowan was started by the Minneapolis YMCA to help support their work to build the “body, mind and spirit” of young people.

Icaghowan opened in 1909 on a 15-acre site on Green Lake near Chisago City, Minnesota. In the early years, campers would travel to camp by street car, horse drawn wagon and hiking. As the popularity of camp grew, the Minnesota site became too small.

In 1945, the YMCA bought the current 120 acre site on Lake Wapogasset near Amery, Wisconsin. The special feature of the new site was that 44 acres of the property is an island. The island and mainland property is connected by a narrow land bridge built in 1903 by the Wallace Family. 

The island property created many unique opportunities. All the cabins could be on the lakeshore and two bays were created. One bay would always be calm and protected so cabins could canoe to their overnight lakeshore campsites while staying on camp property. Groups could canoe around the island, wildlife (i.e. deer and wild turkeys) tended to stay there and the crowned topography didn’t allow for standing water which minimized mosquitoes.  Best of all - it was impossible to get lost.

Like most camps of the early 1900’s, Icaghowan started as a boy’s camp but welcomed girls in 1970.