Remembering Heart O' the Hills Camp

The Heart Lives On: Remembering Heart O' the Hills Camp

Today would’ve been 2nd Term Opening Day at Heart O' the Hills Camp in Kerrville, Texas. But this year, the campgrounds are quiet. The cabins that once echoed with laughter now rest in silence. And for those of us who called it our second home, this silence is deeply felt.

Heart O’ the Hills was never just a camp. It was a place where we truly discovered ourselves—under the wide Texas skies and tall whispering trees. It was where friendships formed without screens, where late-night talks meant more than social media ever could, and where matching bead bracelets told stories of sisterhood and summer magic.

We laughed until we cried. We climbed, we swam, we learned how to be brave. Many of us were seen for who we truly were for the first time in those woods. That kind of connection—the kind that binds hearts together—can’t be erased.

Yes, it’s okay to grieve. To miss the mess halls, the chants, the joy of returning year after year. Because losing Camp feels like losing a part of ourselves. But grief is proof that it mattered—that it was real.

And here’s the truth: The Heart lives on. In the way we show kindness. In the courage we carry into the world. In every breeze that brings back memories of campfire songs and starry nights.

Though the land is still, the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills is very much alive—in every camper and counselor who ever called it home.