Pila Blanca

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

Pila Blanca is a ghost town in Duval County, Texas, United States, located a mile and a half south of Highway 44 on Farm to Market Road 3196. It is ten miles southeast of Freer and twenty-five miles west of Alice. Today, there are a few residences and buildings remaining, but the precise population is unknown. A cemetery and an old water tower still exist in town.

The on-the-ground condition of Pila Blanca 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 Pila Blanca 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 Pila Blanca is roughly 27.8064, -98.4728 — 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.