Camp Mystic announced Thursday it has withdrawn its application for a 2026 summer camp license and will not reopen this season, according to a news release from camp representatives. The decision came after the first public hearing about last summer’s Fourth of July floods that killed more than 100 people across the Hill Country and included dozens of children; the camp has said 27 girls died at Camp Mystic while its statement referred to 28 lives lost.
Camp owners had planned to reopen in late May using only parts of the property that were not flooded, and expected nearly 900 campers this summer. Those reopening plans drew anger from victims’ families and prompted some state officials to urge regulators to deny or delay the camp’s license renewal, which was under review by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The public hearing and the subsequent scrutiny contributed to the operators’ decision to withdraw the renewal application.
In its statement, Camp Mystic said it withdrew the application out of respect for grieving families and to remove any doubt that the operators had failed to acknowledge concerns raised during testimony. The release extended condolences to the victims and emphasized the camp’s continuing bond with its families and former campers.
The withdrawal followed a second day of state legislative hearings during which Texas lawmakers sharply criticized the camp’s operators, including members of the Eastland family. Dick Eastland, one of the camp’s leaders, died in the flooding. Republican state Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock told the Eastlands they should not be allowed to operate the camp this summer, saying their stewardship was unacceptable in light of the tragedy.
Co-director Edward Eastland told lawmakers that the anger directed at the camp was understandable and that he had no excuses. Family members acknowledged during hearings that Dick Eastland had insisted the camp’s flood evacuation plan was to shelter in place.
By withdrawing the license application, the camp’s operators say they hope to show respect for survivors and bereaved families. They also reiterated their condolences and said their connection to Camp Mystic families continues despite the decision to remain closed this season.