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YMCA Camp Benson

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4.8 Google Review

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16355 Scenic Palisades Rd, Mount Carroll, Illinois, 61053, United States

(815) 244-8722 www.ymcacampbenson.org

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Refresh Reviews 4.8

kylie

10 months ago

This camp was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. Most of the activities only lasted 30 minutes, which felt pointless and unorganized. If you chose hiking that day, you’d come back covered in mud and dirty water, yet showers were limited to 5 minutes. That wasn’t even enough time to rinse off, let alone actually get clean. The bathrooms were very far from the cabins, which was extremely inconvenient, especially at night. In the mornings, there was zero privacy to change, which made a lot of people uncomfortable. To make things worse, there was black mold in the bathroom, which is not only disgusting but also unsafe. The food was by far the worst part. Dinner was often just a half-cooked meat patty—no bun, no sauces, nothing to hold it together. Breakfast was dry pancakes with no toppings. Snacks were basically nonexistent unless you bought them yourself from the camp store, which was rarely open. Because of this, most people were constantly starving. There were also no fruits or vegetables, which led to multiple people becoming constipated. The staff made the experience even worse. Many of the workers were not kind, and one of our counselors was eventually kicked out for bullying a kid in our cabin. Before that happened, she would touch our stomachs, tickle us, and hug us without consent, which made several of us extremely uncomfortable. When people in our cabin started complaining about her behavior and she found out, she became angry and hostile toward us instead of taking responsibility. Overall, this camp was unprofessional, uncomfortable, and poorly run. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Harper Jackson

10 months ago

Sorry for the bad review, I went a week through camp benson and it was terrible. First of all you had maybe 5 minutes to shower.. and you could maybe get through shampoo and conditioner but if you did a muddy activity you wouldn’t get time to wash off. Some of the girls needed privacy and you were forced to change in front of people. The food was terrible as well, a plain hamburger patty? And the people were so bored waiting to finish all the courses we had 35 minutes and it would take 5 minutes to finish the little meal. It wasn’t just the patty in breakfast the pancakes were cold and no syrup and butter if we did have that it would go to the counselors. The counselor had no interaction with all of the girls in my camp. Not only was the counselors bad but the counselors in training were 14-17 and my friends were 12 and 13. And we were getting told what to do by 14 yr younger olds. That was maybe the only good thing throughout the week there was my friends. After night you were hungry and you have to bring snacks or buy some. Some kids couldn’t sleep because of the counselors light on the ceiling. Next you had to go to the pool EVERY SINGLE DAY. And I made the mistake of bringing one towel so it was soaking through taking a shower and going to the pool. The good review I have is about the activity’s they were actually the good part about the day. But only lasted 30 minutes.

Ashley Grace

Jun 10, 2023

Sent my almost 8 year old for mini week and he loved it! In his words… it was a 10 out of 10. And he’s already asking to go for a full week next summer! Beautiful camp that seems very well cared for and from short interactions with everyone - all incredibly friendly.

Lara Adolph

Dec 7, 2017

I can’t say enough about this place! My 7 year old daughter had a wonderful experience at Camp Benson last summer and can’t wait to go back! She still talks about what a great time she had, 6 months later! Such a positive atmosphere for kids to gain independence and confidence, while enjoying the great outdoors. The counselors are very caring and the director is great- it is easy to tell that they all love their jobs. I wish I had had the opportunity to experience a camp like this as a child, but thankful that it is offered for my daughters to enjoy!

Stephanie Kissam

Jun 30, 2024

YMCA Camp Benson is a gem - activities like archery, natural rock climbing, tubing, kayaking, camp songs, quests that camp is made for. The kitchen is very accommodating of our vegetarian diet. The cabins spacious and comfortable. My kids love the counselors and the other kids they've met. They make so many memories and are looking forward to next year.

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