After the catastrophic flood that struck on July 4, Camp Mystic has announced plans to partially reopen in summer 2026. The news, delivered via email on Monday by the Eastland family, has triggered grieving families.
As reported by The New York Times, the reopening will take place at Camp Mystic’s Cypress Lake site, located over a hill from the original Guadalupe River campus, which remains closed. According to the email sent to past campers and affected families, the owners plan to “rebuild cabins and trails” and create a memorial dedicated to the deceased campers and counselors. “We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship and spiritual growth will continue to flourish,” the message read. “We look forward to welcoming you back inside the green gates.”
The July 4 flooding was among the deadliest natural disasters in Texas in recent years. Over 130 people died across the region, including 27 at Camp Mystic. One child, 8-year-old Cile Steward, is still missing.
Unlike nearby camps, Mystic was the only sleepaway camp where campers lost their lives, raising questions about its evacuation and emergency plans during the storm. In 2011, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had designated much of Mystic’s grounds within a 100-year flood zone, but the Eastland family successfully challenged the designation and continued operations without significant infrastructure changes.
Families Divided Over Memorial Plans
The announcement came in the form of two emails — one sent to the families of the victims, and one to the wider camp community. In both, the Eastlands expressed plans to reopen the Cypress Lake campus and to build a memorial. “We hope this space will serve as a place of reflection and remembrance of these beautiful girls,” the Eastlands wrote.
But many families say they were never consulted about the memorial. “The families of deceased Camp Mystic campers and counselors were not consulted about and did not approve this memorial,” said Blake Bonner, father of 9-year-old victim Lila Bonner, to The New York Times.
Cici Steward, whose daughter Cile is still missing, responded to the announcement: “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,” she wrote. “Camp Mystic is pressing ahead with reopening, even if it means inviting girls to swim in the same river that may potentially still hold my daughter’s body.”
Safety Reforms and Future Uncertainty
In the aftermath of the tragedy, families of the victims, now organized as “Heaven’s 27”, pressed for legislative reforms. In September, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1, also called the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act, which mandates annual comprehensive emergency plans and mandatory evacuations during flood warnings.
“Camp safety is now law in the great state of Texas,” Abbott said at the signing. “Every child who goes to camp should come home to their families, and no parent should ever have to outlive their child,” according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Eastlands expressed support for the legislation in their email, stating that their reopening plans would “comply with the requirements of the new camp safety legislation,” and promised never to place campers in any cabin that had floodwaters inside.
However, some former counselors raised concerns that the legislation was “rushed,” and asked lawmakers to evaluate its long-term impact on camps. In a letter sent to Governor Abbott, 11 counselors said, “There will be no future for Mystic and its surrounding camps” unless changes are made, as reported by The New York Times.
In their email to victims’ families, the Eastlands admitted, “We have not been perfect at communicating. The distance that has grown between some of us saddens us all.”
While the camp plans to announce its 2026 session dates in October, the future of the original Guadalupe River site remains uncertain. The Eastlands said they are still “evaluating plans to rebuild.”
