A total of 27 young girls and camp counselors died in the 2025 floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. The camp will not reopen this summer, and the state’s governor said the investigation into the camp continues.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement confirming that Camp Mystic had withdrawn its application to reopen this summer.
“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones and to those recovering from last year’s devastating Fourth of July floods,” Abbott said in a statement. “DSHS continues to work with the Texas Rangers to investigate Camp Mystery. The results of the investigation will be released as soon as possible.”
Governor Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference in Hunter, Texas, on July 8, 2025. Earlier Friday, Governor Abbott announced that more than 160 people were still missing after deadly flooding. Heavy rainfall last week caused severe flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas, reportedly killing more than 100 people, including children attending Camp Mystery.
The camp will close in the summer of 2026, reports Thursday, April 30, after Texas lawmakers heard two days of heartbreaking testimony from flood investigators who argued the loss of life could have been avoided. family The members of the slain were Pleading with the state government not to allow the camp to reopen this summer.
Days before the hearing, the camp caused an uproar in Texas by submitting an application to renew its license and reopen this summer. According to the Texas Tribune, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) found that the app was missing 22 categories of information. It gave the camp 45 days to make necessary corrections.
The application is another point of contention. Among them, lawmakers questioned campers at an April 29 hearing in Austin about whether they were truly ready to welcome campers back.
Will Camp Mystic be closed permanently?
State lawmakers hinted at hearings this week that they want Camp Mystic to continue operating but not work with the current owners.
The camp also sent a letter to Camp Mystic families planning to return this year informing them of the closure, but did not indicate whether it meant the end of the camp.
“We recognize that our broader community continues to endure tremendous loss and that many families continue to endure unimaginable pain,” the letter read. “At this time, we believe that withdrawing is the right and responsible decision for the 2026 training camp.”
USA TODAY reporter Michael Loria contributed to this report.
Mateo Rosiles is a Texas Wire reporter for USA TODAY and its regional Texas newspapers. Got a news tip for him? Send him an email at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Texas governor responds to Texas Mystic Camp closing for summer 2026