Top ghost towns
Ghost TownPyote
Ghost TownTehuacana
Ghost TownTuleta
Ghost TownTerlingua
Ghost TownWashington-on-the-Brazos
Ghost TownLuckenbach
Ghost TownPraha
Ghost TownPreston
Ghost TownGlenrio
Ghost TownGlenn Springs
Ghost TownShafter Lake
Ghost TownTaiton
Ghost Towns by county
All ghost towns (63)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyote | Ward County | — | Monahans | 2 |
| Tehuacana | Limestone County | — | Mexia | 4 |
| Tuleta | Bee County | — | Beeville | 3 |
| Terlingua | Brewster County | — | Alpine | 1 |
| Washington-on-the-Brazos | Washington County | — | Navasota | 4 |
| Luckenbach | Gillespie County | — | Fredericksburg | 3 |
| Praha | Fayette County | — | Flatonia | 3 |
| Preston | Grayson County | — | Preston | 4 |
| Glenrio | Deaf Smith County | — | Tucumcari | 1 |
| Glenn SpringsBig Bend | Brewster County | 746 m | Alpine | 1 |
| Shafter Lake | Andrews County | 965 m | Andrews | 3 |
| Taiton | Wharton County | 46 m | El Campo | 3 |
| Ben Wheeler | Van Zandt County | — | Van | 3 |
| Indianola | Calhoun County | — | Port O'Connor | 3 |
| Rexville | Austin County | — | Sealy | 4 |
| Shafter | Presidio County | — | Presidio | 1 |
| Thurber | Erath County | — | Ranger | 3 |
| Langtry | Val Verde County | — | Del Rio | 1 |
| Acala | Hudspeth County | — | Fort Hancock | 2 |
| Lytton Springs | Caldwell County | — | Lockhart | 4 |
| Justiceburg | Garza County | — | Post | 2 |
| Kent | Culberson County | — | Van Horn | 1 |
| Albert | Gillespie County | — | Blanco | 3 |
| Clairemont | Kent County | — | Spur | 2 |
| Boonville | Brazos County | — | Bryan | 7 |
| Adobe Walls | Hutchinson County | — | Stinnett | 2 |
| Fort Griffin | Shackelford County | — | Albany | 2 |
| Ruidosa | Presidio County | — | Presidio | 1 |
| Telegraph | Kimble County | — | Junction | 2 |
| Welfare | Kendall County | — | Comfort | 4 |
| Copano | Refugio County | — | Fulton | 3 |
| Phelan | Bastrop County | — | Camp Swift | 5 |
| Benton City | Atascosa County | — | Lytle | 4 |
| Lobo | Culberson County | — | Van Horn | 1 |
| Mesquite | Borden County | — | Lamesa | 2 |
| Orla | Reeves County | — | Loving | 1 |
| Quihi | Medina County | — | Hondo | 4 |
| Salt Flat | Hudspeth County | — | Homestead Meadows South | 1 |
| Sherwood | Irion County | — | San Angelo | 2 |
| Slide | Lubbock County | — | Wolfforth | 4 |
| Spanish Fort | Montague County | — | Nocona | 3 |
| Stiles | Reagan County | — | Big Lake | 2 |
| Frio Town | Frio County | — | Pearsall | 3 |
| Perico | Dallam County | — | Clayton | 1 |
| Red River Station | Montague County | — | Nocona | 3 |
| Duffau | Erath County | — | Hico | 3 |
| New Birmingham | Cherokee County | — | Rusk | 4 |
| Provident City | Colorado County | — | Ganado | 3 |
| Nix | Lampasas County | — | Lampasas | 3 |
| Peach Creek | Wharton County | — | Boling | 4 |
| Estacado | Crosby County | — | Lorenzo | 3 |
| Kelsey | Upshur County | — | Gilmer | 3 |
| Morris Ranch | Gillespie County | — | Fredericksburg | 3 |
| Rath City | Stonewall County | — | Hamlin | 2 |
| Hale City | Hale County | 1,054 m | Hale Center | 3 |
| Nashville | Robertson County | 87 m | Hearne | 4 |
| Texla | Orange County | 9 m | Mauriceville | 5 |
| Antioch | Houston County | 92 m | Cooper | 3 |
| Dabney | Uvalde County | 323 m | Uvalde Estates | 2 |
| Port Sullivan | Milam County | 101 m | Hearne | 3 |
| Biggers | Collin County | 188 m | Lowry Crossing | 7 |
| Sumpter | Trinity County | 86 m | Groveton | 3 |
| Parris | Collin County | 168 m | Melissa | 7 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph ghost towns
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.