Camp Mystic to partially reopen after Texas floods killed campers
Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp in central texas, will partially reopen in summer 2026 following deadly floods over the Fourth of July weekend that claimed the lives of 27 campers and counselors. The damaged section near the Guadalupe River will remain closed, but another area of the camp will welcome campers back. The camp is implementing new safety protocols in compliance with the recently enacted Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act, which includes measures such as real-time weather alerts, emergency preparedness plans, trained staff, and prohibiting cabins in flood-prone areas. The floods were a catastrophic 1,000-year event, with water levels rising rapidly, and delays in evacuation contributed to the tragedy. Camp Mystic plans to build a memorial for those who died, tho this decision has faced criticism from families who were not consulted. The camp has communicated a reopening letter to parents and will provide further details on the summer 2026 schedule soon.
Camp Mystic to reopen partially next summer after Texas floods killed campers
Camp Mystic will partially reopen next year after the all-girls Christian summer camp was hit by deadly floods in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.
The portion of the camp that was damaged near the overflowing Guadalupe River will not reopen in 2026, but a separate area will welcome campers back next summer.
The news was revealed in a letter to campers’ parents this week.
“Camp Mystic Cypress Lake will be open for Summer 2026,” says the letter, which was obtained by a local news outlet. “We are working to implement new safety protocols and other changes that comply with the requirements of the recently passed camp safety legislation, the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act.”
The bill, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) earlier this month, is named in memory of the 27 campers and counselors who died in the floods.
Under the legislation, Camp Mystic’s new safety measures include real-time weather alerts, emergency preparedness plans, trained staff, and the prohibition of cabins in floodplains designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The camp’s leaders said they are complying with the new law.
“We continue to evaluate plans to rebuild Camp Mystic Guadalupe River,” the letter says. “Our planning and procedures will reflect the catastrophic 1,000-year weather event that occurred on July 4, including never having campers return to cabins that had floodwaters inside them. And, as at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, our plans will comply with the requirements of the new camp safety legislation.”
Camp Mystic said it will share more information with the families in the coming weeks, including the 2026 camp dates.
The catastrophic floods swept through the cabins in a low-lying area of the camp after campers and counselors didn’t start evacuating until 45 minutes after the National Weather Service issued a flash flood alert. The agency defended its weather predictions amid scrutiny following the reported deaths. The water rose rapidly from 14 feet to 29.5 feet in the span of an hour.
In total, an estimated 140 people died in the floods across central Texas. Most of the deaths were reported in Kerr County and along the Guadalupe River.
PARENTS WHO LOST DAUGHTERS AT CAMP MYSTIC: THEIR DEATHS WERE ‘100% PREVENTABLE’
Camp Mystic also announced plans to design and create a memorial in honor of the campers and counselors who died during the devastating floods. The move was met with criticism from the affected families.
One parent told the New York Times that he and other parents were not consulted about the memorial for their daughters. The letter was one of the few instances of communication between Camp Mystic and the campers’ families since the tragedy.
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