Camp Mystic withdraws its licence application and will not open for the summer 2026 season after the devastating flood last year killed 28 people at the Texas Hill Country camp.
The silence hanging over the cypress-lined banks of the Guadalupe River will remain for another season. In a decision that has sent ripples through the Texas Hill Country, the owners of Camp Mystic announced Thursday that they have officially withdrawn their application for an operating license, ensuring the historic girls’ camp will not open for the summer 2026 season.
The move marks a dramatic reversal for the Eastland family, who had spent months preparing to welcome over 800 girls back to a portion of the property they maintained was safe from the floodwaters that devastated the site nearly a year ago.
A Decision Born of Grief and Pressure
The announcement, released on April 30, 2026, followed a week of grueling legislative hearings in Austin where lawmakers and grieving families challenged the camp’s readiness to operate. In a formal statement, the camp leadership acknowledged that no administrative process should move forward while the pain of last July’s tragedy remains so raw for so many Texans.
“This decision is intended to remove any doubt that Camp Mystic has heard the concerns expressed by grieving families, members of the Texas House and Senate investigating committees and citizens across our state,” the statement read.
The withdrawal is a significant moment in the aftermath of the July 4, 2025, flash flood that claimed the lives of 25 young campers, two counselors, and the camp’s executive director, Richard “Dick” Eastland.
Regulatory Roadblocks and “Heaven’s 27”
While the camp framed the withdrawal as a gesture of respect, state officials provided a more technical context for the closure. Earlier in April, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) notified the camp that its new emergency plans were insufficient, citing more than 20 categories of deficiencies ranging from parent notification processes to medical contingency documentation.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had been a vocal opponent of the reopening, repeatedly urging regulators to deny the license until all investigations were complete. Following the camp’s announcement, Patrick called the withdrawal the “correct decision” to protect Texas children and allow for transparency.
The Search for Accountability
For the families of the victims, often referred to as “Heaven’s 27,” the news brought a mix of relief and renewed resolve. CiCi and Will Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter Cile remains the only victim whose body has not been recovered, characterized the camp’s move not as an act of grace, but as a “calculated exit” from a license they were on the verge of losing.
Investigations by the Texas Rangers and a joint committee of the Texas legislature remain active, as do multiple wrongful death lawsuits. These inquiries are focused on whether the camp ignored multiple flood warnings on the morning of the disaster and why an evacuation was not initiated sooner.
As summer 2026 approaches, the focus in Hunt shifts entirely to remembrance and the ongoing search for Cile Steward, with Governor Greg Abbott noting that his heart remains with those still recovering from the “devastating Fourth of July floods.”
