Texas' Once-Popular Tourist Destination Outside San Antonio Is Now A Near-Ghost Town With Well-Known Fishing Spots

With multiple once-thriving towns along Route 66 and abandoned boroughs with vibrant art communities, Texas is haunted by ghost towns. In fact, with over 500 such destinations, it's the state with the most abandoned towns in America. Conjuring images of lonely tumbleweeds rolling across dusty streets lined with deserted buildings, there are many Texas towns that are completely empty. Then there are the few that aren't quite abandoned yet, towns boasting populations smaller than the number of students in an elementary school classroom, with, perhaps, a lone grocery store or diner to feed the few that call it home.

One such almost-empty town is Segovia. Located about 100 miles north of San Antonio (an iconic Texan city with the most free things to do in America), Segovia is a near-abandoned ghost town that, though it never boasted a large population, at one point thrived as a tourist destination. And yet, its rural charm and proximity to vibrant fishing spots are enticing enough to keep it on the map.

Named after a medieval Spanish city known for its fairytale-like architecture, Segovia, Texas, was settled in the 1860s. However, it wasn't until the year 1900 that the town got its own post office, and, by 1925, the population consisted of 10 people. Spurred by an influx of tourists lured in by surrounding outdoor attractions, such as fishing and camping, the population peaked at a whopping 101 in 1974, though it had fallen to around 25 residents by 1990.

After the post office closed in 1964, little of note was left in Segovia. Situated off Highway 10 in Kimble County, today you'll find nothing more than a couple of abandoned buildings and a few lonely homes whose modern trucks parked out front are the only signs of life.

You can still visit the old post office, a decaying wooden facade now filled with cacti and overgrown weeds instead of mailboxes. The only nearby businesses you'll find are Ranchito Country Store, which offers an array of used clothes, accessories, home goods, and food items, and a TA Express Travel Center with an attached Sonic Drive-In. However, thanks primarily to nearby fishing spots, the town remains alive today.

If you're fishing for things to do in Segovia, you can do just that — go fishing. Located about 14 miles west of Segovia is South Llano River State Park. Nestled along the South Llano River, the 2,600-acre park offers an abundance of fishing opportunities. Better yet, you don't need a license to fish in the park, and if you forgot your fishing gear, you can simply borrow some from the park's headquarters. Once you're ready to fish, you can expect to catch everything from largemouth bass to giant yellow catfish and, during the winter, colorful rainbow trout.

Another nearby fishing spot is Pecan Valley Ranch and Farm. Located about a 20-minute drive from Segovia, it's tucked along the Llano River and boasts plenty of opportunities for catching catfish, sunfish, and largemouth and Guadalupe bass. It's also an RV park, so you can settle in with your trailer for the night, or, if you prefer, head into the nearby city of Junction, where you'll find an array of no-frills accommodations, including a Best Western and a Motel 6.