Record

About Castolon

Castolon, also known as La Harmonia Ranch and Campo Santa Helena, is a tourist ghost town in southwestern Texas, United States, located in what is now Big Bend National Park along the Rio Grande. The location was first settled in 1901 by Cipriano Hernandez, who farmed the area and built the original Castolon Store, now known as the Alvino House.
From Wikipedia, "Castolon", CC BY-SA 4.0.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Castolon, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Castolon is

USGS topographic map around Castolon — USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

6 historic USGS maps cover Castolon

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

1903 Terlingua sheet, 1:125,000 · GeoTIFF download
1904 Terlingua sheet, 1:125,000 · GeoTIFF download
1959 Emory Peak sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1965 Emory Peak sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1971 Castolon sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
1985 Chisos Mountains sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

Before you go

Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Castolon

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Texas index.

Terlingua14.6 mi NW · Brewster
Lajitas18.3 mi NW · Brewster
Glenn Springs22.2 mi E · Brewster
Contrabando25.6 mi NW · Presidio
San Vicente29.8 mi E · Brewster

Sources

ghosttowns.com, "Castolon": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
Wikipedia, "Castolon": coordinates and summary.
Wikidata Q5050682.
USGS GNIS 1379515.
USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).