Camp Mystic is moving forward with plans to reopen its Cypress Lake site in May 2026, announcing upgraded safety measures in a letter to families after a flash flood killed 25 campers and two counselors at the camp’s Hill Country location in July 2025.
The plan calls for flood-warning river monitors, two-way radios in every cabin with national weather alerts, and high-capacity generators for essential facilities — safety enhancements the camp says will exceed the new state-mandated requirements passed after the deadly flooding.
Camp Mystic — a private Christian girls’ camp in Kerr County near the Guadalupe River — will not reopen the portion of the campus destroyed by floodwaters.
The reopening decision has drawn sharp criticism from some victims’ families, who question whether any camp near the same river can be safe again and have filed lawsuits alleging negligence contributed to the tragedy.
Even as the camp seeks to move forward, the disaster that claimed the lives of what became known as “Heaven’s 27” continues to fuel state conversations on camp safety, emergency preparedness and regulatory oversight for youth camps in flood-prone areas.
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