Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian camp near Kerrville, Texas, where 27 girls died as a result of catastrophic flooding last summer, announced it will not open any portion of the camp for the summer 2026 season.
After legislative hearings in Texas about the camp’s response to the flooding, Camp Mystic’s leaders issued a letter announcing that “after thoughtful prayer and careful reflection” they would no longer seek a license from the Texas Department of State Health Services to operate the camp this summer.
RELATED: See more stories on Camp Mystic.
The camp said it had received many calls and letters offering encouragement to the camp and more than 800 campers had signed up to return to the camp this summer. Refunds will be provided to these families.
‘Unimaginable pain’
“At the same time, we recognize that our broader community continues to grieve a profound loss, and that many families continue to carry unimaginable pain. In this moment, we believe stepping back is the right and responsible decision for the 2026 camp season,” the letter said.
“No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy,” Camp Mystic said.
The camp had received a notice from the Texas DSHS that it was failing to comply with 22 standards for licensure.
Lawyers representing some of the families of the campers lost in the flood responded to Camp Mystic’s decision.
“Given the serious questions that remain, and out of respect for the families of the victims, we believe the decision by Camp Mystic ownership to withdraw its application for a state license is proper. The families we represent are grateful that no other Texas family will hand their daughter over to Camp Mystic this summer. But until there is full accountability for what happened on July 4 and until there are real, enforceable safeguards for every child sent to a Texas camp, our work continues,” attorney Sam Taylor of the Lanier Law Firm wrote.
In February, nine of the families who lost their children in the floods sued state officials who led the Texas DSHS for licensing Camp Mystic. The lawsuit claimed the “stay put” instructions were not an evacuation plan as required by Texas law. The families allege that in addition to the camp’s responsibility, “state officials who helped create this inexcusable risk to life by directing and executing a policy of non-compliance with Texas law” are also responsible for their children’s deaths.
Last fall, several families filed a state lawsuit against the camp, its owners, and several related entities, accusing them of negligence, gross negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and liability based on inviting the victims onto the camp property then breaching its duty of care to them.
The Texas Legislature passed bills last year to ensure camp safety, including provisions prohibiting cabins operated in flood plains, requiring operable weather alert radios in each cabin, installing emergency warning systems, and conducting safety orientations with campers at the beginning of each camp session.
Impact on other camps
Other Texas youth camps have filed suit against the state, challenging the constitutionality of the proceeding statutes that require redundant internet service, including end-to-end fiber among other things.
They claim the requirements may cause some of them to close permanently given the increased license fees and requirement for redundant internet access.
Camp Deer Run near Winnsboro, about 40 to 50 miles north of Tyler, saw the cost of its license increase from $600 to $10,000.
Lake Cisco Christian Camp, which is not on the actual lake nor in a flood plain, can’t afford the fiber with a monthly fee of $600 so it will not open for youth camps this summer.
A preliminary study by the Christian Camps and Conference Association found that at least 173 camps in Texas do not have access to fiber.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Kim Roberts and originally published by MinistryWatch.
