Texas' Blissful Ghost City On The Gulf Coast Features Free Beach Camping, No Crowds, And Idyllic Fishing

Nothing beats not being around people, right? Unfortunately, vacation destinations are usually full of them. At worst, you wind up with fake tourist traps stuffed to the gills with hollow attractions, useless souvenir kitsch, and beaches full of more sweaty human bodies than grains of sand. But thankfully, the world is also full of overlooked and remote places that provide vacationers the ideal getaway from, well, everything. Such is the case with Texas' Indianola, a once-port town northeast of Corpus Christi along the Gulf of Mexico. 

Calling Indianola a "ghost town" might invoke the wrong kind of image, as there's no rows of ramshackle shacks in sight. Indianola got wiped from the map by back-to-back hurricanes 1875 and 1886, the latter of which was worsened by related fires. The settlement's 5,000 townsfolk tried to re-build in between both disasters, but it just wasn't worth it. And so, Texas' second-ever port, which had the potential to expand into a thriving city up to the present day, left behind nothing but memories and cautionary tales a mere 33 years after it was founded in 1853.  

Nowadays, Indianola's former site contains long strips of beaches, wetlands, free camping grounds, rentable properties, the fishable freshwater Powderhorn Lake opposite Matagorda Bay, and scattered residents. There's plenty of reeds, grass, waterfowl, fish, one statue, a cemetery, and you if you go. Located within driving distance of San Antonio (a little less than three hours), Houston (about two and a half hours), and Corpus Christi (roughly one hour and a half), it's not going to win any points for excitement, but it's an ideal way to get away.

Making the final leg of the drive along Matagorda Bay to the tip of Indianola Island — along narrow spits of flat land split by watery pockets — might just feel like coming home. There, with the bay on one side and Powderhorn Lake on the other, sits a little cul de sac of raised houses and trailers. Like the island, the neighborhood seafood shop and marina bear the name of the town that got abandoned almost 130 years ago, even though the entire coastal strip falls within the borders of Port Lavaca, population 11,299, per the 2024 U.S. Census. 

You could do as locals do and stand along the marina, fishing rod in hand, taking in the serene, still waters of the bay. You could also circle back inland to Powderhorn RV Park Boat Ramp and Marina and slip into Powderhorn Lake to kayak or do some fishing, provided you don't disturb the wildlife in the adjacent wetlands or leave trash behind. This is a rental property with showers, kitchen, Wi-Fi, etc. Head north a bit to Indianola Beach Park and you'll be able to camp on the beach for free. There's even an array of 12, brightly painted, covered picnic tables that you can use as you like. No need to worry about hurrying to grab a spot, though. Crowds aren't really a concern down there.

And if you want a few reminders of those who once lived in the area, landmarks sit scattered along the bay. There's a stub of stone to mark Indianola's courthouse, a town marker, the La Salle Monument named after a regional French explorer, and the aforementioned weather-worn cemetery.

Indianola's remoteness is a big part of its appeal. It's not super hard to reach, though. All you need is a car launched from one of three points that we already mentioned: San Antonio, Houston, or Corpus Christi. If you want a little cityside excursion before or after your people-free Indianola coastal cleanse, there's your chance. 

San Antonio is the furthest option for making the trek to Indianola, including some fairly unintuitive turns near the town of Victoria close to Route 59, so beware of that. Travelers can take heart, though, because the Towers of the Americas awaits in San Antonio with the highest altitude dining in Texas and a 750-foot-high observation deck. It'd be an interesting way to gain perspective before heading to the flat shores of Indianola.

Folks heading out from Houston can always explore another abandoned spot, the bizarrely constructed Palace of the Golden Orbs, that comes with a tangled backstory of a Taoist master and his disciple.You can't go inside, but after viewing it within Houston's western suburbs, it'll take you about a little over two hours to reach Indianola. From either Houston or San Antonio you could also stop by the "Wildflower Capital of Texas," Cuero, which is a bit over halfway to Indianola and full of over 1,000 species of flowers.

Finally, those heading out from Corpus Christi have the easy job of driving up Route 35 along a pretty, coastal route. You can watch the terrain slowly morph into the site of the former, 19th-century town, and be grateful for the chance to do what its residents had to abandon.