Camp Mystic Will Reopen Over Objections From Parents of the Dead

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Camp Mystic Will Reopen Over Objections From Parents of the Dead

Twenty-seven children and counselors died in the Texas Hill Country camp, and many of their families expressed shock that the retreat on the Guadalupe River would be open for its 100th anniversary.


Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors died in a flash flood in Hunt, Texas, in July. Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times

By Ruth Graham
Reporting from Dallas
Sept. 23, 2025

Camp Mystic, the girls’ summer camp in Texas where 27 young campers and counselors died in flooding in July, plans to reopen next summer, a decision that has shocked and divided the once tight-knit community of Mystic alumni and parents.

The camp’s owners announced their intentions in two emails sent hours apart on Monday, one to the families of the girls who died, and one to a much broader group of past campers and their families, many of whom remain fiercely loyal to the camp’s leadership.

“We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship and spiritual growth will continue to flourish,” the email to past campers read. “We look forward to welcoming you back inside the green gates.”

Camp owners opened a second site in 2020, near the original location along the Guadalupe River, which is the campus that will reopen next year.

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Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signing the Camp Safety Bill at the governor’s mansion in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 5. Carter Johnston for The New York Times

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Ruth Graham is a national reporter, based in Dallas, covering religion, faith and values for The Times.