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Camp Mystic announced Thursday that it will not reopen for the 2026 summer season, marking a major shift in recovery plans following a flood that killed 27 people last year.
Officials said the tragedy left 25 campers and two counselors dead at a Christian girls’ camp in the Hill Country, Texas. Director Richard Eastland also died during separate rescue efforts, according to the family-run camp.
The camp’s decision to withdraw its request to reopen in May comes days after the director made a tearful apology at a state hearing that drew lawmakers and grieving families to the effort to reopen, according to the Associated Press (AP).
In a statement, the leaders said they would rather not continue with another season than risk causing damage to the affected families.
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Debris covers the grounds of Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, July 7, 2025, after flooding hit the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)
“No management program or summer season should go forward while families continue to grieve,” the camp said.
“This decision is intended to remove any doubt that Camp Mystic has heard the concerns expressed by grieving families, members of the Texas House and Senate investigating committees and citizens across our state. Honoring those voices requires us to step back now.”
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This aerial photo shows damage to Camp Mystic from flooding along the Guadalupe River, in Hunt, Texas, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
They also expressed their sympathies to everyone affected by last year’s disaster, adding that they understand that there is nothing they can do to undo the damage or ease the pain.
“Twenty-eight precious lives were lost. We realize that no statement and no decision can reverse that loss or ease the burden carried each day by parents, siblings, loved ones, survivors, first responders and our wonderful community of Kerr County. We also realize that over 800 girls want to return to Lake Mystic Cypress Lake this summer. Our special bond with Camp Mystic remains unchanged.”
A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the place where at least 20 girls went missing after flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)
The camp’s owners previously said they hoped to reopen in late May, expecting 900 people, and planned to use parts of the facility that did not flood, AP reported.
The plans have sparked outrage from victims’ families and some prominent officials, who have urged regulators to deny the camp’s license, which was under review by the Texas Department of Health.
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During a hearing earlier this week, lawmakers scrutinized the camp’s role in the disaster, citing inadequate operations, delayed responses to flood warnings, and inadequate emergency training for counselors, according to the AP.
They also pressed the directors on whether they were serious, citing what state regulators found that there were 22 alleged deficiencies in the camp’s emergency plan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
