KERRVILLE, Texas — It’s probably hard to imagine just how many parents drove a shell road at Camp Mystic to drop off their daughters for summer camp.

The camp was first opened in 1926 by University of Texas coach E.J. “Doc” Stewart. Initially known as Stewart’s Camp for Girls, it focused on outdoor activities and various skills like roping, marksmanship and arts.

For nearly 100 years, kids came to the camp every summer, except for the time the U.S. Army took it over for two years during World War II to serve as a center for veterans to recover from their war injuries.

It’s 700 acres is situated on the south fork of the Guadalupe River, three miles Southwest of Hunt, Texas.

Nearly two dozen summer camps are scattered along the river and its tributaries in Kerr County. Looking at the stunning scenery, it’s easy to see why the camps chose to locate in the area.

But the river can be treacherous when flash floods happen. In the early morning hours on July Fourth 2025, a wall of water swamped Camp Mystic. Among the victims of the flood: longtime camp director Dick Eastland, who died trying to move some of the campers to higher ground.

Not far from Camp Mystic, Heart o’ the Hills camp was between sessions, so no girls were at risk. But the beloved director of Heart o’ the Hills Jane Ragsdale perished in the flood.