Shafter Ghost Town Cibolo Creek Road, Marfa, TX 79843

"Shafter (ghost town), pop 33. "Well", the locals will tell you,"it's actually 30 because one family went on a trip." Long ago an Indian town, then a Mexican town built among its ruins, then a thriving silver mining town built among those ruins, Shafter lit up & then dimmed to a ghost town. A ghost town still lively in all the layers. Quietly, some live full, rich lives here! Slowly, some build adobe mansions. Gladly, each one shares their connections. Western Hospitality! The restaurant turned home. The javalina turned pet (but don't pet!...or even go near the fence!). The agave & prickly pear turn to blossoms more beautiful than roses. The eternal mountain, Three Sisters, watches over the lives below going on...& on...& on..."

"Pretty neat little area, we were passing through & saw it pop up on the GPS so figured we'd (respectfully) pass through & check out."

"STRESS RELEASER ALERT!!! For anyone within driving distance, the time could never be better than now to stop by this oasis in the desert! Babbling Brooks, for shure!, green, peaceful meadows and quiet enough to cause extended slumber. ⚠️ WARNING You may not want to leave! At least immediately."

"Beautiful ghost town rich with history, but unfortunately for exploration some of the most interesting ruins are behind barbed wire and a "do not enter" sign. The town still does have a few inhabitants, apparently, so it's worth being careful and respectful - but then again, that's true even of fully abandoned ghost towns as well."

"Ghost towns are just fantastic and Shafter is no exception in that regard (though be respectful, a handful of people still live here). You can read about the history of the town's decline elsewhere on the internet but my immediate interest in Shafter is that it was used as the location of "Piedmont, New Mexico" in the 1971 film "The Andromeda Strain," where the deadly extraterrestrial virus first struck. Footage from the film clearly shows the still-standing Sacred Heart Catholic Church and several other dusty and abandoned buildings. Shafter is in the middle of nowhere far-west Texas and you really have to want to get here. You're not going to just drive by on your way somewhere else!"