Glenrio

Texas ghost towns run the full arc: cattle railheads, cotton towns the boll weevil broke, and oil booms that went bust.

Glenrio, formerly Rock Island, is an unincorporated community in both Deaf Smith County, Texas, and Quay County, New Mexico, United States. Located on the former U.S. Route 66, the ghost town sits on the Texas–New Mexico state line. It includes the Glenrio Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Glenrio has one active business, a cannabis dispensary, located on the New Mexico side, where recreational cannabis sale and usage is legal. The community was founded in 1903 as a railroad siding on the Rock Island Railroad.

The on-the-ground condition of Glenrio is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Glenrio is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Glenrio is roughly 35.1789, -103.0422 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.