KERR COUNTY, Texas – Camp Mystic will partially reopen in summer 2026, a year after catastrophic flooding killed 27 campers and counselors on the Fourth of July.
In a letter sent to parents this week, the Eastland family said Camp Mystic Cypress Lake will be open for the camp’s 100th anniversary.
“Because of the devastating damage sustained by Camp Mystic Guadalupe River, we will not be able to re-open in 2026,” the family said, noting plans are being finalized to allow Camp Mystic Guadalupe River campers to attend Cypress Lake.
Read the full letter obtained by KSAT below:
According to its website, Camp Mystic was established 1926, and Camp Mystic Cypress Lake opened in 2020 in Hunt, Texas.
Camp dates for next year will be released in early October, the family said.
The letter states that the family is continuing to evaluate plans to rebuild the Guadalupe River camp, and they are working to implement new camp safety legislation passed in response to the flooding.
The legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month, include requiring camps to install emergency warning systems, prohibiting cabins within the floodplain and mandating cabins display evacuation routes.
>> Gov. Greg Abbott signs camp safety bills into law, surrounded by Camp Mystic families
Records obtained by KSAT Investigates in the days following the floods found that state officials verified Camp Mystic had an emergency plan in place two days before the floods.
In the letter, the Eastland family said part of their planning and procedures include “never having campers return to cabins that had floodwaters inside them.”
A memorial will also be built to honor the campers and counselors killed in the floods, according to the letter.
“We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship and spiritual growth will continue to flourish,” the family said. “As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost.”
More than 100 people across Texas died in flooding on July 4. Richard “Dick” Eastland, Camp Mystic’s director, died while trying to save campers.
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