10 Small Towns in Texas That Time Forgot
Discover the Other Side of Texas
While the Lone Star state is home to some of America’s largest cities, you’ll also find small towns in Texas that time forgot. They come with their own quirks and charms flung far and wide across this vast state. Texas is a big, bold place with vast landscapes and a culture of fierce independence, but it’s also a cradle of tiny places that make Texas so diverse and interesting.
Some towns are nestled into spectacular surrounds, while others have storybook streets lined with centuries-old buildings. Most have lively local arts and music scenes, while some have been forsaken and nearly forgotten. But whatever their size or status, each of these small places are brimming with big Texan pride and personality.
10 small towns in Texas that time forgot
1. Luckenbach
Back to the basics
จุดเด่น: ประวัติศาสตร์, แปลกใหม่
When a town has only two buildings, and one of them is a dance hall, it’s bound to be a fun-loving place, and that’s Luckenbach. Found an hour’s drive west of Austin, Luckenbach is just a three-person town but it gets a steady stream of curious visitors wanting to see the place that beloved country singers have romanticized in their hit songs.
Life is simple in Luckenbach. You can grab a cold beer, view the retired town post office, and buy classic western souvenirs at the 1800s general store, spot the town’s celebrity free-roaming chickens, and take a look at the community’s preserved 19th-century schoolhouse. Or catch live country artists playing on the outdoor stage under massive, 500-year-old oak trees.
Luckenbach
2. Lockhart
When you’re in for a Texas BBQ gorge fest
จุดเด่น: ขาช้อป, ประวัติศาสตร์, อาหาร
Found along the Chisholm Trail just south of Austin, the small town of Lockhart is where hungry souls go to follow their BBQ bliss. Local pit masters have helped Lockhart earn its badge as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas” by turning out smoky and delicious pork ribs, brisket, sausages, and more.
Beyond its BBQ feasts, discover Lockhart’s Victorian-era grandeur on a wander around the town square and historic buildings, including Dr. Eugene Clark Library and Caldwell County Courthouse. Just south of the town center, Lockhart State Park offers shaded hiking trails, fishing spots, a public pool, and a unique nine-hole golf course. Or opt for a cultural escapade and catch a play or musical in the historic Gaslight Baker Theatre.
Lockhart
3. Jefferson
B&Bs and Bigfoots
จุดเด่น: ประวัติศาสตร์, ผจญภัย, แปลกใหม่
To visit Jefferson is to step back in time to its 1800s glory days when the town’s river port bustled with steamboats heading for New Orleans. The arrival of the railways ended Jefferson’s golden era, but town pride and preservation efforts saved its grand 19th-century buildings, many of which now serve as hotels, bed & breakfasts, or museums.
Ghosts are said to be lurking in some of those buildings, which you could learn about on a spooky tour. Be sure to also keep a lookout for mysterious ape-like creatures in the area, since Jefferson’s been proclaimed the “Bigfoot Capital of Texas.”
Jefferson
4. Wimberley
Where wildflowers and artists flourish
จุดเด่น: คู่รัก, ประวัติศาสตร์, ขาช้อป
Wimberley is a quaint little town in the Texas Hill Country and a fun place to explore for culture and outdoor enthusiasts. Find charming little antique shops and art galleries displaying hand-blown glassworks, paintings, and weavings of local artists. On the second Saturday of every month, the town hosts a gallery trail with late hours, cool drinks, and appetizers.
Wimberley’s two swimming holes, Jacob’s Well and Blue Hole, offer spectacular spots for a dip. Alternatively, you could spend your days tasting and touring around Wimberley’s vineyards. If you’re a bluegrass and country music fan, head out to Twin Sisters Dance Hall or Gruene Dance Hall just outside Wimberley for some epic boot-scootin’ time.
Wimberley
5. Marfa
Artsy enclave with alien lights
จุดเด่น: คู่รัก, ขาช้อป, หรูหรา
Marfa is a remote town in West Texas that’s full of surprises. Its thriving modern art scene boasts monumental works of art, live performances, and cutting-edge rotating exhibits. To find Marfa’s most photographed star, drive out of town to the whimsical Prada store art installation, sitting completely isolated in the middle of a barren desert.
Beyond the art galleries, those looking for inspiration need only look up into the night sky for a chance to see the famous Marfa Lights: mysterious glowing orbs that have been sighted regularly in the area. For an incredible panoramic view of the entire city and the surrounding desert peaks, climb to the glass dome at the top of the 1886 Presidio County Courthouse.
Marfa
6. Canyon
Home to the Grand Canyon of Texas
จุดเด่น: ประวัติศาสตร์, ผจญภัย
Canyon reveals the town’s not-so-secret main attraction, as it’s where you can visit America’s second largest canyon. Most people will want to soak up Canyon’s history at the Historic Downtown Square before venturing out to Palo Duro Canyon State Park for some outdoor adventures.
The park has trails for hiking and horseback riding, or you could camp overnight with views of the night sky. The canyon walls also make a dramatic backdrop for the TEXAS Musical extravaganza at the Pioneer Amphitheater. Walk the historic downtown square to explore local boutiques or browse the seasonal Farmer’s Market. Don’t forget to snap a photo with the Tex Randall Statue, a quirky, 7-ton concrete cowboy that has greeted travelers since 1959.
Canyon
7. Terlingua
From boomtown to ghost town
จุดเด่น: อาหาร, ประวัติศาสตร์, ถ่ายรูป
Terlingua is a former quicksilver-mining town at the fringe of Big Bend National Park in West Texas. There are rusted-out cars and derelict buildings that will have us contemplate how truly small we are in this vast and wild world. Most visitors pass through the town on their way to explore the park’s deep river gorges, mountain ranges, desert, and hiking trails.
Though mostly abandoned, Terlingua still manages to keep itself on the map with tasty Mexican breakfasts, friendly barkeeps serving drinks at local saloons, and its international chili cook-off festival every November. Take a tour of the mining company ruins and see abandoned stone miners’ cabins and capped mine shafts left behind when miners left in the 1940s.
Terlingua
8. Fredericksburg
German homestead haven
จุดเด่น: ประวัติศาสตร์, ถ่ายรูป, แปลกใหม่
In the years since Fredericksburg was founded by a German man of noble descent back in 1846, it’s remained a little Texas enclave for all things German. Its streets are lined with dozens of historic homes and landmarks, and its Pioneer Museum and Sauer Beckmann Living History Farm each tell the story of German settlers to the area who went on to develop thriving ranches, farms, and wineries.
Delve into Fredericksburg’s unique history on a walking tour, join a culinary or wine tasting tour, and venture out to Enchanted Rock Park for a hiking or rock-climbing adventure on the huge pink granite dome.
Fredericksburg
9. Bandera
The cowboy capital of the world
จุดเด่น: ประวัติศาสตร์, ผจญภัย, ถ่ายรูป
Set on the banks of Medina River, Bandera is a town straight out of a Wild West fantasy. Found along the historic cattle-driving Chisholm Trail, Bandera’s cowboy culture is very much alive and kicking with its regular rodeo events and weekly shoot-em-up gunfight shows called Cowboys on Main.
Stop by Bandera General Store to rustle up a new cowboy hat, belt buckle, and boots, then mosey out to a dude ranch to hone your wrangling, lassoing, and horseback riding skills. While some ranches are rough and rustic like the good ol’ days, others offer budding cowpokes luxurious cabins and swimming pools. Dive into Bandera’s history in Frontier Times Museum that houses a collection of pioneer relics and cowboy gear.
Bandera
10. Uncertain
Also home to the Church of Uncertain
จุดเด่น: ครอบครัว, ประวัติศาสตร์, ถ่ายรูป
If you’re uncertain of where to travel in Texas, you could always check out Uncertain, even though its 100 or so residents certainly don’t oversell the town’s charms to outsiders. If you do stumble upon Uncertain, there are plenty of things to enjoy here beyond taking an obligatory selfie with the town sign.
Found on the shores of Caddo Lake near the border with Louisiana, Uncertain’s a hauntingly beautiful escape for birdwatching, kayaking, and fishing in the shade of Spanish-moss covered cypress trees. Take a guided swamp boat tour or rent a canoe or kayak to trace parts of the lake’s marked paddling trails. Or simply soak in the complete isolation of the East Texas bayou country.
Uncertain
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