Howard Johnson Plaza Abilene

Ft. Phantom Hill

by starrlot

It's been a while since I have taken my son here, so since he is older, decided to stop by and visit again. My son was just amazed at the history and to walk along the ruins of this fort made him picture what it was like way back then.

Taken from the brochure, some history:

"
A rustic romance and a hint of mystery still cling to more than a dozen tall stone chimneys which tower over Fort Phantom Hill near Abilene. Like the soldiers who once guarded this parched patch of West Texas soil, the lonely chimneys stand over the rugged beauty of native cacti, wildflowers and mesquite trees.

The chimneys are a rock reminder of the colorful early days of Texas history, when Native Americans from the Comanche tribe still roamed the area, and U.S. Infantry troops struggled to create an outpost to protect the westward-moving frontier of Texas settlement."

It is not to be missed. Be warned though, there are sticker bushes out there that are painful, along with a very uneven terrain, but a scooter or wheelchair can get through the main path and from there landmarks are a short walk, but it's difficult.