The letter to families said the Cypress Lake camp would open next summer. They also plan a memorial dedicated to the victims.
KERR COUNTY, Texas — The girl’s summer camp where 27 young campers and counselors died during the Texas Hill Country flooding earlier this year will reopen one of its camps next summer.
The camp is reopening the Camp Mystic Cypress Lake site, just around a hill from the Guadalupe camp where 27 campers and counselors died.
Camp officials also said they’re also planning on building a memorial dedicated to the victims.
Camp Mystic made the announcement in messages sent directly to the victim’s families, which were obtained by CBS News and KHOU 11 News on Tuesday.
The decision isn’t sitting well with multiple families. Instead, they’re criticizing the move.
One parent told the New York Times that families weren’t consulted before being told about the plan and memorial.
Camp Mystic hasn’t responded to a request for comment.
A letter to camp families read:
Dear Camp Mystic Family,
We are writing today to share some updates related to Camp and the next summer season. Thank you so much for your love, support and patience with us during this unprecedented time. We have prayed about next summer daily.
First and foremost, we will be designing and creating a memorial dedicated to the lives of the campers and counselors lost on July 4th. We hope this space will serve as a place of reflection and remembrance of these beautiful girls. We continue to pray for the grieving families and all those who lost loved ones.
Second, Camp Mystic Cypress Lake will be open for Summer 2026. We are working to implement new safety protocols and other changes that comply with the requirements of the recently passed camp safety legislation, the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act. We will share more details as they become available in the coming weeks.
Because of the devastating damage sustained by Camp Mystic Guadalupe River, we will not be able to re-open in 2026. However, we are finalizing plans that would allow Camp Mystic Guadalupe River campers to attend Camp Mystic Cypress Lake next summer. We will release our 2026 camp dates in early October.
We continue to evaluate plans to rebuild Camp Mystic Guadalupe River. Our planning and procedures will reflect the catastrophic 1,000-year weather event that occurred on July 4, including never having campers return to cabins that had floodwaters inside them. And, as at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, our plans will comply with the requirements of the new camp safety legislation.
The heart of Camp Mystic has never stopped beating, because you are Mystic. We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship and spiritual growth will continue to flourish. As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost.
You are all part of the mission and the ministry of Camp Mystic. You mean the world to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back inside the green gates.
We will have more information to share soon on how to sign up and get your girls on the lists for their terms.
With love, Tweety Eastland Mary Liz and Edward Eastland
Another letter provided to CBS News read:
A Message from Camp Mystic
Camp Mystic
Dear Camp Mystic Families,
We are writing today to share some updates related to Camp and the next summer season. We have not yet shared the following information with the broader Camp family community, as we wanted you to receive it first. We are sorry that we have not been perfect at communicating, and we know that. The distance that has grown between some of us saddens us all, and we are here to communicate with you as much as you desire while respecting each of your individual needs.
Of primary importance, we will be building a memorial at Camp Mystic dedicated to your precious daughters. 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. If you would like to be informed as plans for the memorial develop, we will gladly do so.
Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, which sustained no damage from floodwaters, will be opening in Summer 2026. Our planning and procedures will comply with the requirements of the camp safety legislation you bravely championed.
Because of the immense damage it sustained, Camp Mystic Guadalupe River will not be re-opening for Summer 2026. We are working with engineers and other experts to determine how we will implement the changes required by Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1.
We share your grief, we love you and we continue to pray for you all.
With love,
Tweety Eastland
Mary Liz and Edward Eastland
Catie and Britt Eastland
Leslie and Richard Eastland
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