(Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

WHITEHOUSE — After two years, Camp Tyler on Thursday unveiled its newly built cabins, marking a major milestone in the camp’s mission to provide educational and outdoor experience for kids across East Texas.

“The history of this place speaks for itself,” said Bud Worthen, president of the Camp Tyler Foundation. “People have been coming here since ‘49… when the first group of kids showed up.”

Construction for the camp first began in 1945, and by late 1949, the main lodge, two winterized cabins, and the director’s house were ready to receive their first group of campers. Today, Camp Tyler spans more than 300 acres of forest and farmland, attracting schools and groups from all over East Texas and beyond.

“We’ve got kids that come in from Austin… Dallas International comes with second graders and stay for three or four days,” Worthen said. “We’ve had groups come in from Paris, Longview, Leverett’s Chapel… we’re starting some new programs and hope to market beyond Texas.”

The camp offers summer programs where kids can explore everything the camp has to offer, either for the entire summer or just a week. Activities include fishing, hiking, interacting with animals, and engaging in team-building exercises and survival scenarios. Students have the opportunity to explore diverse environments, including farms, ponds, and forests.

“We want to be more than just a daycare,” Worthen said. “We want to take the kids fishing and hiking… get them to interact with animals.

Camp director Kathy Legasse always looks forward to seeing the schools and groups of kids arrive at the camp, ready to dive into new experiences and make lasting memories.

“I love them like my own kids,” said Camp Director Kathy Lagasse. “They come and they get to do what kids should be doing, what young adults should be doing — being out in the woods, doing team builders together, learning how to make a campfire, getting to roast a hot dog, getting to go fish in the pond and catch the first fish, getting to go on a canoe trip… it’s just wonderful, and I don’t know of another camping area that accommodates any kids that would lose that or young adults that would lose those opportunities.”

Tyler resident Garrett Lynn remembers the days he attended the camps.

“Fifth grade is what everybody remembers… you stay two nights and three days during the summer and get to hang out with your classmates,” he said.

The two new cabins can accommodate 32 kids each and feature updated bathrooms, a gathering area up front, a bunk area for counselors with their own bathroom, and advanced security systems. One of the showers will be equipped with accessible features for individuals with disabilities.

“It’s like you’re just stepping back in… 1951,” Lynn said. “It’s a brand-new version of the exact same cabin that I stayed in in the fifth grade. I was extremely impressed. What I like about it is that everything is sustainable… the fresh cedar walls, cedar ceilings… it’s immaculate.”

The new cabins are more than just an upgrade; they’re replacing the aging structures that served the camp for nearly eight decades but had grown outdated and worn over time.

“Everything has its own stalls — the bathrooms and the showers, so there’s not a community shower,” Worten said. “We’ve gone to great lengths. I think we’re a lot more state-of-the-art now.”

Living for Zachary, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about sudden cardiac arrest in young people, donated AED (automated external defibrillator) machines for the cabins. Thanks to a grant from the Women’s Fund of Smith County, new bunk beds and mattresses were purchased toward the new cabins.

The East Texas Woods and Waters Foundation and R.W. Fair Foundation made the largest contributions toward the cabin renovations, and the new buildings will be named in their honor.

Several other donors were involved in making the renovations happen.

“We’ve borrowed no money, we’re still debt-free,” Worthen said. “We got a lot of breaks from a lot of people and everything has worked out very well.”

As a board member for the Camp Tyler Foundation, Lynn noted that while attracting new donors can be a challenge, the camp’s long-standing legacy works in its favor.

“It’s a challenge that I think is getting easier,” he said. “The more that we have people out here, remind them of what they did, remind them that all of this was given to everyone in our community. It’s the board’s responsibility to keep the funds coming in and keep the camp going for another 80 years.”

The next project will be completing a sunken fire pit in between the two cabins.

“It will be a pretty big one,” Worthen said. “Right now, we’re just trying to get rid of the trees, as they are all dead. We picked that spot because it’s high and it’s in the middle, but we’re gonna actually recess it into the ground where it’ll hold 32 kids.”

The first group of campers who will get to experience the new cabins are expected to arrive in February.

Lagasse hopes the students and educators who visit the camps will leave not only inspired by their experiences but also with a deeper appreciation for nature, strengthened bonds, and practical skills they can carry into their everyday lives.

“I’m passionate about this place,” she said. “It’s been so great. It’s had a lot of challenges, especially when COVID happened but… it’s very important for the students to not only connect with the environment but connect with each other and learn how we treat each other. It’s good for them to see and feel the effects of that… it’s very valued down here.”

Camp Tyler is located at 15143 Camp Tyler Rd. in Whitehouse. For more information or to donate to the foundation, visit camptyler.org/giving, call 903-565-4475 or email camptyler@camptyler.org