Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp in Texas, has announced it will not reopen for the summer 2026 season. This decision comes after a tragic flood in July 2025 that resulted in 28 deaths, including 25 campers and two teenage counselors, along with the camp's director, Dick Eastland. The Eastland family, who have operated the camp for three generations, stated they would withdraw their application for a license renewal, marking the first summer in a century that the camp will remain unoccupied.
The initial determination by Camp Mystic owners to reopen for the 2026 season, despite the tragedy, faced strong public backlash, legislative investigations, and numerous complaints. State regulators identified nearly two dozen "deficiencies" in the camp's proposed emergency operations plan for the year, particularly concerning flood warning and evacuation procedures. Despite these findings and calls from officials like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to prevent reopening, the Eastlands had maintained they would address the issues, with approximately 850 campers reportedly signed up to return.
The decision to halt reopening follows weeks of court hearings and legislative inquiries that exposed the camp's inadequate flood emergency planning, reliance on undertrained staff, and missed opportunities for timely evacuations. Families of victims, including the parents of 8-year-old Cile Steward who remains missing, filed lawsuits against the camp and its owners, alleging negligence and a failure to act on critical weather warnings. A Texas judge had already ordered the camp to preserve damaged cabins and prohibit activities in the low-lying areas affected by the flood.
The camp's announcement cited the need to respect grieving families and allow ongoing investigations to conclude as reasons for their decision. The Texas Rangers are conducting a criminal investigation into allegations of neglect, and civil lawsuits are still pending. The Eastland family expressed their willingness to cooperate with all investigations, acknowledging the depth of pain and scrutiny surrounding the incident, which contributed to a total of 136 flood-related deaths in the broader river area.
