Planning a ghost town road trip to Texas Town, South Dakota means heading to the remote southeastern corner of Union County, where all that’s left is a solitary cemetery on the open plains. There are no buildings, no signs, and no services — just quiet, windswept history. It borders Iowa and Nebraska, making it a worthwhile detour if you’re chasing authentic ghost town experiences. Keep going to uncover everything you’ll need to plan your full route.
Key Takeaways
- Texas Town is a ghost town in Union County, southeastern South Dakota, near the Iowa and Nebraska borders, featuring only a solitary cemetery.
- Use GPS coordinates for navigation, as Texas Town lacks visible landmarks and sits far from typical tourist routes like the Black Hills.
- Enter South Dakota via Route 71 through Ardmore, transitioning from flat plains to rolling hills with eerie, remote stretches requiring preparation.
- Before traveling, fill your gas tank and carry water, as remote stretches near Ardmore lack services, signage, and roadside assistance.
- Nearby ghost towns like Ardmore, Stamford, and Firesteel offer abandoned buildings and rich history, enriching your overall ghost town road trip experience.
What Is Texas Town, South Dakota?
Texas Town sits in Union County, South Dakota, within a township that shares its name — and that’s about where the similarities to a traditional town end.
Today, it’s a barren ghost town with no structures, no buildings, and no signs of life beyond a solitary cemetery. Texas Town history traces back to early settlement patterns across the Great Plains, where communities rose quickly and disappeared just as fast.
You won’t find streets, storefronts, or any remnants of what once stood here. What remains is quiet, stark, and oddly compelling.
Texas Town legends don’t fill guidebooks or tourist brochures, but that’s part of its raw appeal. If you’re chasing authentic ghost town experiences off the beaten path, this forgotten South Dakota spot deserves a place on your map.
Where Is Texas Town Located in South Dakota?
Tucked into Union County, Texas Town sits within a township that shares its name — a fitting detail for a place that’s easy to overlook on a map.
Its location history places it in the southeastern corner of South Dakota, far removed from the Black Hills tourism circuit most travelers follow. You won’t find it on road signs or visitor guides.
What remains of Texas Town is fundamentally a cemetery, quietly marking where a community once stood. Union County itself borders Iowa and Nebraska, making Texas Town an interesting detour if you’re already crossing state lines.
If you’re road-tripping through the region, you’ll need precise coordinates rather than landmarks to find it — because there’s nothing left standing to guide your way.
What’s Left to See at Texas Town Today?
When you arrive at Texas Town, don’t expect ruins, weathered storefronts, or even a crumbling foundation — what’s left is a single cemetery, and that’s it.
No buildings, no structures, nothing standing above ground except grave markers quietly holding the memory of what once existed here.
Your remnants exploration is brief by necessity. The cemetery represents Texas Town’s entire physical legacy, making it a starkly minimalist stop on any ghost town road trip.
But that simplicity carries its own weight. Standing among the headstones in Union County’s open landscape, you’re confronting a place that didn’t slowly decay — it simply vanished, leaving only its dead behind.
Bring respect, a camera, and realistic expectations. Texas Town won’t overwhelm you with atmosphere, but it’ll stay with you.
Is Texas Town Worth the Drive?
Whether Texas Town is worth the drive depends entirely on what you’re chasing. If you crave raw, unfiltered solitude and Texas Town’s ghostly allure pulls at you, then yes — point your wheels toward Union County and go.
You won’t find buildings, signage, or guided tours. You’ll find a cemetery standing alone against open sky, whispering stories of people who once built something here and vanished.
That kind of silence hits differently than any polished attraction. But if you need tangible rewards for your mileage, Texas Town might leave you cold.
Pair it with Ardmore and the Black Hills corridor on Route 71, and suddenly it becomes one compelling stop within a larger, unforgettable journey rather than a destination carrying the entire weight of your trip.
Other South Dakota Ghost Towns Near Texas Town
If you’re already making the trek to Texas Town, you might as well scout out some of South Dakota’s other fascinating ghost towns nearby.
Ardmore, sitting just off Route 71 near the Nebraska border, offers a rare full-fledged ghost town experience where abandoned buildings still stand as silent witnesses to a vanished community.
Not all of South Dakota’s ghost towns are completely empty, though — Okaton and Cottonwood still claim a handful of stubborn residents, blurring the line between ghost town and living community.
Notable Nearby Ghost Towns
Although Texas Town may be the destination, South Dakota’s ghost town landscape stretches far beyond a single cemetery in Union County.
You’ll find ghost town legends embedded across the state, each carrying its own haunting story.
Stamford in Jackson County burned down three times before finally closing in 1934.
Firesteel thrived as a coal mining hub in Dewey County during the early 1900s before falling silent.
Along Rapid Creek in Pennington County, Farmingdale’s abandoned architecture stands as a quiet memorial to lives once lived.
Texana once hummed with activity near the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Railroad along Deadwood Creek.
Even Okaton and Cottonwood technically carry ghost town status while maintaining a handful of stubborn residents who simply refused to leave.
Ghost Towns Still Inhabited
Some ghost towns refuse to fully die. Okaton and Cottonwood are two inhabited ghost towns that blur the line between abandonment and survival — a handful of stubborn residents still call these places home.
You’re not just visiting a relic; you’re stepping into living history where real people chose to stay when everyone else left.
These towns carry a raw authenticity that polished tourist destinations can’t replicate. Walking through them, you’ll feel the tension between past and present, between leaving and belonging.
If you’re already exploring South Dakota’s forgotten corners, these barely-breathing communities deserve a detour.
They remind you that ghost town status isn’t always absolute — sometimes a place simply refuses to surrender, and that defiance makes it far more compelling than total abandonment ever could.
Stop at Ardmore Ghost Town on Route 71
Where else can you feel the weight of abandonment so viscerally than at Ardmore, a full-fledged ghost town hugging the Nebraska-South Dakota state line on Route 71?
Ardmore history reveals a relatively recent desertion — residents either drove away or passed on, leaving structures frozen in time. You’ll sense a strange time rift standing amid these desolate rolling plains, where ghost town legends quietly replace what was once everyday life.
Structures stand frozen in time, as ghost town legends quietly replace what was once everyday life.
Unlike tourist-friendly stops, Ardmore offers no chamber of commerce, rest areas, or brochures — just raw, unfiltered solitude. Respect any potentially lingering residents by observing from a distance rather than exploring freely.
As Route 71 carries you northward, the plains gradually surrender to larger hills, pulling you closer toward the Black Hills beyond.
How to Get to Texas Town via Route 71
Once you’ve soaked in the eerie stillness of Ardmore, you’ll continue north on Route 71, leaving Nebraska’s flatlands behind as the terrain gradually shifts toward rolling hills.
Keep your eyes peeled for the Southern Hills Cattlewomen’s “Beef Country” sign and a boarded-up one-room schoolhouse—these roadside landmarks confirm you’re heading in the right direction.
The route also passes a turnoff to the filming location for the movie *Hidalgo*, so don’t be surprised if the landscape starts looking oddly cinematic.
Starting Point: Nebraska Border
If you’re planning a road trip to Texas Town, South Dakota, your journey begins at the Nebraska border, where Route 71 serves as your gateway into the state.
This route immerses you in authentic ghost town experiences while connecting you to layers of South Dakota history.
As you cross into South Dakota, watch for these iconic landmarks:
- Ardmore Ghost Town — a recently abandoned settlement frozen in time along the desolate plains
- A weathered sign welcoming you to “Beef Country” by Southern Hills Cattlewomen
- A boarded-up one-room schoolhouse standing silently roadside
- Rolling plains gradually transforming into larger hills as you push northward
Each mile northward strips away modern distractions, replacing them with raw, open landscape that demands your full attention.
Heading north on Route 71, you’ll notice the landscape shifting beneath an expansive sky as flat plains gradually give way to rolling hills pushing toward the Black Hills.
Keep your eyes sharp during this rural exploration — you’ll spot a boarded-up one-room schoolhouse standing roadside, a quiet monument to ghost town history etched across the region. A sign welcoming you to “Beef Country,” courtesy of the Southern Hills Cattlewomen, marks your deeper passage into South Dakota’s character.
A turnoff along this stretch leads toward the filming location of the movie *Hidalgo*, adding another layer to the road’s rich story.
Route 71 isn’t just a highway — it’s a corridor connecting you to forgotten communities, wide-open freedom, and landscapes that reward curious, unhurried travelers.
Recognizing Key Roadside Landmarks
Finding your way to Texas Town demands attention to the subtle markers Route 71 drops along its path.
These roadside attractions aren’t polished tourist stops—they’re raw, unfiltered historical markers of the plains.
Watch for these landmarks as you drive north:
- A weathered sign welcoming you to “Beef Country,” courtesy of the Southern Hills Cattlewomen
- A boarded-up one-room schoolhouse standing quietly against the rolling plains
- A turnoff pointing toward the filming location of the movie *Hidalgo*
- The gradual landscape shift from flat Nebraska plains to South Dakota’s swelling hills
Each marker confirms you’re on the right path.
Stay alert, trust the route, and let these quiet signposts guide you deeper into untamed, open country toward your destination.
Ghost Town–Adjacent: Which Black Hills Sites Sit on the Same Route?
Once you’ve cleared Ardmore’s desolate stretch and pushed north on Route 71, the landscape quietly shifts from flat plains to swelling hills, putting you within striking distance of several iconic Black Hills landmarks.
A quick turnoff reveals the Hidalgo filming location, connecting ghost town legends to cinematic history. Keep driving and you’ll reach Rapid City, your ideal base camp for everything ahead.
Mount Rushmore sits just 30 minutes away, with Crazy Horse Memorial another 30 minutes beyond that. For scenic detours worth every curve, Needles Highway delivers over 30 miles of switchbacks, pigtails, and tunnels threading through Custer State Park toward Keystone.
The Cowboy Ghost Town near I-90 Exit 390 even throws in a live bison herd, keeping your ghost town momentum alive.
No Services, No Signs: What Remote Ghost Town Roads Actually Look Like
When you roll through the remote stretches of Route 71 near Ardmore, you’ll quickly realize there’s no chamber of commerce, no rest stops, and no brochures to guide you—just endless rolling plains stretching toward the Black Hills.
The desolate landscape creates an eerie sense of isolation, as if you’ve drifted into a time rift where the modern world simply stopped caring about this corner of South Dakota.
You’ll need to navigate carefully, since road signs are sparse and the turnoffs leading to ghost town sites blend seamlessly into the surrounding terrain.
Desolate Plains Driving Conditions
Driving through the remote plains toward Ardmore and Texas Town strips away every modern travel comfort you’ve come to expect.
No rest stops, no cell service, no GPS confirmations — just you and the haunting landscapes stretching endlessly ahead. The desolate beauty here demands your full attention.
Expect these defining moments along Route 71:
- Flat, rolling grasslands consuming your entire field of vision
- A boarded-up one-room schoolhouse standing alone roadside
- A weathered sign declaring you’ve entered Beef Country
- Complete silence broken only by wind cutting across open plains
You’re not passing through a postcard — you’re moving through genuine emptiness.
Fill your tank before entering, carry water, and embrace the raw freedom of roads that civilization hasn’t bothered reclaiming.
The roads leading to Ardmore and Texas Town don’t announce themselves — they simply exist, indifferent to whether you find them or not.
No signage guides you, no rest stops reassure you, and no cell service confirms your location. For ghost town navigation out here, you’ll rely on downloaded offline maps or printed directions before you leave civilization behind.
Route 71 from Nebraska is your anchor. Follow it north, watch for subtle landmarks — a boarded-up schoolhouse, a cattlewomen’s sign marking Beef Country — and you’ll know you’re tracking correctly.
These road trip tips sound simple, but remote South Dakota highways genuinely test your preparation. Embrace the uncertainty.
That disorienting, untethered feeling of driving unmarked plains roads? That’s exactly the freedom ghost town seekers come searching for.
How to Build a Road Trip Around Texas Town SD
Since Texas Town itself amounts to little more than a cemetery in Union County, you’ll want to anchor your road trip around the richer stops that bracket it.
Layer your ghost town history with road trip essentials by building a route that rewards every mile.
- Enter South Dakota on Route 71 through Ardmore’s abandoned streets and boarded-up schoolhouse.
- Push north toward the Black Hills, where rolling plains surrender to dramatic ridgelines.
- Stop at Cowboy Ghost Town near I-90 Exit 390, where a bison herd roams Buffalo Ridge.
- Base yourself in Rapid City and chase Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Needles Highway’s 300 curves.
This sequence transforms a barren cemetery visit into a full, freedom-chasing journey across South Dakota’s most compelling landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Tripadvisor Rating Does the Cowboy Ghost Town Currently Hold?
You’ll find the Cowboy Ghost Town holds a 2.8 TripAdvisor rating from 32 reviews. Don’t let that discourage your ghost town experiences — it’s still a thrilling, freedom-filled stop near I-90’s Exit 390!
Which Movie Was Filmed Near the Route 71 Turnoff in South Dakota?
With over 30 curves per mile, you’ll spot the turnoff near Hidalgo’s film locations along Route 71. This area’s local legends inspired the movie’s rugged, freedom-filled backdrop, making it an unforgettable stop on your adventure.
How Far Is Crazy Horse Memorial From Mount Rushmore?
Once you’ve explored Mount Rushmore, you’re just 30 minutes away from the awe-inspiring Crazy Horse Memorial. It’s a short, scenic drive that’ll leave you feeling the spirit of freedom and adventure!
Who Erected the Beef Country Sign Along Route 71?
As you cruise Route 71, you’ll spot the Southern Hills Cattlewomen’s sign welcoming you to Beef Country — one of those charming roadside attractions that celebrates the region’s proud beef industry heritage and free-spirited ranching culture.
Which South Dakota Ghost Town Burned Down Three Times Before 1934?
Imagine the flames rising again and again—Stamford’s ghost town history is haunting! Located in Jackson County, it survived three devastating fire incidents before finally closing its doors for good in 1934. You won’t believe its fiery past!
References
- https://takemytrip.com/2016/08/ardmore-south-dakota-ghost-town-and-route-71/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmSADvq4Lek
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54538-d1111483-Reviews-or20-Cowboy_Ghost_Town-Buffalo_Ridge_South_Dakota.html
- https://roadtripqueens.blog/2020/06/13/texas-to-south-dakota-road-trip-itinerary/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_South_Dakota
- https://myfamilytravels.com/the-spookiest-road-trips-in-texas-with-abandoned-landmarks
