Camp Mystic owners seek to sell property as part of bankruptcy case, court records reveal

The owners of Camp Mystic are now seeking to sell the camp as part of a bankruptcy filing, more than a year after deadly floods tore through the Texas Hill Country and claimed the lives of some of the camp's guests, counselors, and one of the owners.

A new disclosure and Chapter 11 plan, filed on Sept. 25 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas in Houston, comes as the camp still faces pending lawsuits filed by the families of campers and counselors who died during the deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025. The original bankruptcy filing was entered in June 2026.

Under the proposed plan, virtually all Camp Mystic assets would be sold through a court-supervised sale process. The proceeds would be preserved and distributed to creditors, which include the families of the campers and counselors who died. Other creditors include unsecured creditors and families who made deposits for the 2026 season before Camp Mystic withdrew its license application.

Additionally, per the filing, insurance coverage would first cover those claims, and if that coverage doesn't fully cover the claims, the families would share the remaining funds with the other unsecured creditors.

Camp Mystic's filing indicates it would prefer that whoever buys its assets continue to run a camp on the property, though the buyer is not required to do so. The filing also mentions a stalking horse bidder that may be connected to camp families and alumnae, though the identity and purchase price were not yet disclosed.

The bankruptcy filing states the court would not determine fault or damages, meaning the impacted families can still pursue current and new lawsuits against Camp Mystic. Further, the Sept. 2026 disclosure form says that, should the camp be sold, all existing equity interests would be canceled, with the Eastland family and the affiliated entities receiving no recovery unless all claims are paid in full. Additionally, once the bankruptcy process is completed, Camp Mystic's current estate entities will wind down and dissolve at the direction of a plan administrator.

Camp Mystic's June 2026 bankruptcy filing estimated liabilities between $10 million and $50 million; the camp claims it has assets far below that, between $100,001 and $500,000. That filing indicates that funds will be available for distribution to between 1,000 and 5,000 unsecured creditors.

Edward S. Eastland, a member of the family that owns the camp, was listed as the camp's authorized representative in the filing. The corporation behind the camp is represented by a Dallas attorney.

A total of four companies are listed as affiliated entities in the filing:

• Camp Mystic, LLC
• Natural Fountains Properties, Inc.
• Mystic Camps Family Partnership, Ltd.
• Mystic Camps Management, LLC

Joyce W. Lindauer, a bankruptcy attorney not involved in the case but who has been following it closely, said in a June 2026 interview with CBS News Texas that the filing is unsurprising given the scale of the camp's legal exposure

"Kind of not a surprise to me that they would file bankruptcy because that is a way for them to deal with a number of the problems they are currently facing," Lindauer said, noting a liquidation case was more likely and that restructuring the business may be nearly impossible.

"Given the amount of liability that potentially is here, it would be difficult to restructure this business and continue to operate it," she said. "Not saying it's impossible, but I think it would be difficult."

Sam Taylor, an attorney representing families of six victims, said at the time the bankruptcy filing was another attempt to stall accountability.

"Every step of the way, they've tried to avoid accountability," he said, calling the bankruptcy "another effort by them to avoid a trial."