Camp Mystic, the all-girls summer camp in Texas where 27 campers and counsellors died during catastrophic floods on 4 July, plans to partially reopen next summer, the camp’s owners announced in letters to families on Monday.
The Eastland family, who have run the camp since the 1930s, said the area along the Guadalupe River destroyed by the flood will remain closed, but parts of the camp that were undamaged will resume operations.
According to news agency AP, the letters also confirmed plans to build a memorial for those who lost their lives. “In the memorial’s design, we will strive to capture the beauty, kindness and grace they all shared, while focusing on the joy they carried and will always inspire in us all,” the Eastlands wrote.
The July floods killed 27 at Camp Mystic and at least 136 people across the Texas Hill Country, raising serious questions about the camp’s safety and emergency preparedness. Authorities said the river rose from 14 feet (4.2 metres) to nearly 30 feet (9 metres) in just an hour, overwhelming the camp.
The executive director, Richard “Dick” Eastland, 70, died attempting to rescue campers.
The camp’s reopening decision has drawn criticism from some families, particularly those still searching for missing children, including 8-year-old Cile Steward.
Her mother, Cici Steward, was quoted by New York Times as saying, “The truth is, Camp Mystic failed our daughters. For my family, these months have felt like an eternity. For the camp, it seems like nothing more than a brief pause before business as usual”.
Blake Bonner, father of Lila Bonner, 9, another victim, criticised the memorial, saying the families were not consulted or given approval.
The Eastlands stressed in their communications that they are implementing new safety protocols in line with recently passed Texas legislation. The new laws, signed by Governor Greg Abbott, require camps to move cabins away from flood-prone areas, install warning systems, and develop detailed emergency plans.
The Eastlands supported the legislation, particularly its provisions for detection and warning systems, which they said “would have saved lives on July 4”, as per the New York Times.
Camp Mystic has faced scrutiny for its location and history. FEMA had designated parts of the camp as a 100-year flood zone in 2011, a designation the Eastlands successfully challenged, which allowed them to continue renovations without flood insurance requirements.
Parents and alumni have long considered the camp a prestigious summer destination, drawing families from Houston, Austin, and Dallas, and many have sent generations of children there.
The Eastlands acknowledged communication lapses in the aftermath of the disaster. “We have not been perfect at communicating. The distance that has grown between some of us saddens us all,” they wrote.
Camp Mystic will announce its 2026 session dates in early October, while the Eastlands said they would continue evaluating plans for rebuilding the original site where the tragedy occurred.
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