“Unthinkable”: Camp Mystic parents condemn reopening plans after devastating floods

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The parents of the last missing girl from Camp Mystic, the Christian girls’ camp where 25 young campers and two counselors died during the July 4 flooding, blasted its recent decision to reopen one of its campsites in 2026 in a letter made public on Thursday.

"To promote reopening less than three months after the tragedy — while one camper remains missing — is unthinkable," wrote CiCi and Will Steward, whose 8-year-old daughter Cile Steward has not been found. "Our families remain trapped in the deepest throes of grief, yet your communications treat our never-ending nightmare as little more than a brief pause before resuming business as usual."

Camp Mystic officials said in an email sent to families on Monday that they would follow all new laws and regulations as it welcomed campers back at its Cypress Lake site and as they look to rebuild the Guadalupe River site. The Cypress Lake site is less than a mile south and uphill from the Guadalupe River site. They also assured parents that campers would never return to cabins that were flooded in July and said plans are in the works to build a memorial for the “Heaven’s 27” campers and counselors who died during the flooding.

“We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship and spiritual growth will continue to flourish,” the email read. “As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost.”

The Stewards' letter, which says it also was written on behalf of the other families who lost children at Camp Mystic, called on the camp to "halt all discussions of reopening and memorials. Instead, Cile must be recovered, and you must fully confront and account for your role in the events and failures that caused the deaths of our daughters. Anything less dishonors the children who were killed while in your care — at a time when their safety was your primary responsibility."

Matthew Childress, the father of Chloe Childress, one of the two counselors who died at Camp Mystic, said in a text message to The Texas Tribune on Tuesday that the families of deceased campers and counselors were "not consulted about and did not approve" the proposed memorial.

"At this time, we believe that all resources should be focused on reuniting Cile Steward with her family, as the last unrecovered camper lost in the waters of the Guadalupe River at Camp Mystic," Childress said.

In a statement on Thursday, Camp Mystic said it was still in the early stages of planning the memorial and that it welcomes the parents' "participation" as they develop it. The camp also defended its decision to reopen, clarifying that the Cypress Lake site sustained no damage during the flood, is not adjacent to the Guadalupe River and that they were consulting engineers and other experts as they moved forward.

"Our decision to partially reopen areas of the camp is informed by our faith and our commitment to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually," a spokesperson for the camp said.

The family-owned Camp Mystic has been a generational tradition for thousands of young girls across Texas, but quickly became a focal point of the tragic floods, which killed more than 130 people and decimated parts of the Hill Country. Its camp director, Dick Eastland, also died during the flooding, and the email was signed by his wife, Tweety, and other Eastland family members.

The scope of the flood’s devastation, as well as accusations of unpreparedness pointed at camp, county and city officials, prompted legislators to pass new laws mandating stricter camp safety guardrails. The families of the Heaven’s 27 who lost their lives at Camp Mystic championed the new regulations at the Texas Capitol throughout two special legislative sessions. Those additional requirements include more training for camp staff and restrictions on building cabins in certain areas of a floodplain.

Another bill that would have overhauled disaster emergency response systems failed to pass after legislators could not agree on a final version of the bill.

Camp Mystic had over half of its buildings in a 100-year floodplain, and is among 13 different camps that were built in flood zones. The camp also had appeals approved by federal regulators to remove some of its buildings from 100-year flood maps tracking hazardous areas.

A camp spokesperson on Tuesday said they would release more details on their 2026 plans to welcome campers back in the coming weeks.

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