Cypress Lake camp is completely independent from the Guadalupe River camp. It has its own office, its own dining hall, its own cabins, its own activity fields and even its own stables.

No buildings at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake received damage during the July 4th flood. 

The Cypress Lake campus is on a completely different body of water than the original Guadalupe River Camp.  Cypress Lake campus is located along the north bank of Cypress Creek. The swimming area is a spring-fed lake that feeds into Cypress Creek. 

In 2018, prior to the construction of Cypress Lake campus, a detailed floodplain study was completed to establish the 100-year floodplain elevations through the property and define the limits of the 100-year floodplain along Cypress Creek.  The results of this study assisted the placement of all proposed structures on Cypress Lake to be outside the defined limits of the 100-year floodplain.

Four state-of-the-art flood warning river monitors from River Sentry at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake. We are working in collaboration with several camps in the Texas Hill Country to install 100 flood warning river monitors along the South and North Forks of the Guadalupe River and other tributaries, as well as the Frio River before the start of the summer camping season. 

These towers enhance safety in two ways: 1. When water is detected, they emit a very loud alarm and bright lights, waking up and signaling danger to those nearby and issuing audible warnings to evacuate. 2. They communicate with other towers up and down the river with long-range LoRaWAN technology, allowing towers upriver to alert Camp Mystic of flooding, and sensors at Camp Mystic to provide the same advance warning to towers downriver. This will allow us to alert people downriver from us, and towers upriver from us to warn us as well, creating a connected safety network.

Camper cabins all have indoor speaker PA systems, fire sprinkler systems, and smoke detectors. Cabins will also have hand-held, two-way radios to communicate with the administrative staff and directors during emergencies. These handheld radios are enabled with NOAA weather alerts.

Each of the 15 camper cabins will have emergency kits located by the exit door that include pertinent camper information including parent contacts, flashlights, first aid supplies, and other essential items.

Our staff training includes health and safety, emergency procedures and our child abuse protection protocols. We will maintain ratios of staff to camper according to the requirements of the youth camp license. Counselors will have extra training in mental health from our full-time licensed professional counselor during our staff orientation.

We will be constructing illuminated trails and pathways to the designated higher ground muster station at the Dining Hall (James Hall). Evacuation and emergency drills will be conducted within 48 hours of camper arrival.

Camp Mystic Cypress Lake will have the addition of higher-capacity generators to maintain power in critical areas, including our office and dining hall. These enhancements will also help us maintain communication with emergency personnel and parents in the event of an emergency. Camp Mystic Cypress Lake already has fiber optics installed and for redundant internet we are adding Starlink.

In Spring of 2025, we updated and expanded the outdoor PA system at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, adding additional speakers to further strengthen communication and ensure clear announcements across key areas of camp.

We are collaborating with neighboring river camps to develop a coordinated emergency communication plan, enabling rapid camp-to-camp communication and the timely sharing of critical information during emergencies.

In 2024, we completed construction on a new infirmary at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake that is centrally located for easy access by campers and counselors. There will be three registered nurses on staff as well as a licensed professional counselor present at all terms throughout the summer to support the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of both campers and counselors, providing a healthy, healing and supportive camp environment for everyone.

All camper cabins were built with fire retardant building materials and have fire sprinkler systems and smoke detectors. Fire extinguishers are kept in locations near the cabins.

In 2018, Camp Mystic donated land for the construction of a Hunt Volunteer Fire Department substation that now provides added fire protection for Camp Mystic and its surrounding neighbors.

The camp has a fire hydrant installed in a central location to assist the fire department in the event of an emergency.

James Hall will serve as the emergency muster point in the event of a fire. Alternative evacuation plans will be made for different fire situations.

This summer, Camp Mystic will have enhanced security with multiple trained law enforcement and/or military trained personnel. They will remain inconspicuous so as not to interfere with the camp experience, while still ensuring a safe and secure environment at all times. Additional security measures and patrols will be in place throughout the property to ensure the safety and well-being of all campers and staff.

We have contracted and been working with a third-party safety consultant to assist with (1) reviewing our current emergency action plans, (2) approving our staff training of emergency procedures, and (3) coordinating all-camp emergency/evacuation drills within 48 hours of opening days.

We are working with a safety consultant to help us review our Emergency Plans and Procedures. A safety coordinator will be on staff this summer in order to keep our emergency action plans up to date, help us train our counselors, perform drills with the campers and coordinate with local emergency services in preparation for various types of emergencies.