Cisco
- Alex Cabrero
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
(Cisco) There are a lot of towns in Utah where you feel welcomed almost right away with open arms. Cisco doesn’t quite feel like one of them. Not that it’s a bad place… it’s just, well, let me explain.
Cisco, in the eastern part of Grand County near the Colorado State line, is surrounded by sagebrush and desert. There are no towns close enough for you to drive into Cisco by mistake. You almost have to want to come here. As soon as I arrived, I started wondering if I was allowed to be here.
I spent about 30 minutes wandering what looks like a ghost town, but it isn’t. Not quite. People live here. You can tell because Cisco makes that very clear with all the signs you see around town. “No Trespassing.” “Private Property.” Everywhere.
There’s a small post office that shows Cisco has its own ZIP code. A sign on top of the building reads “Howard Burnett Memorial Post Office.” A cable blocks the front so you can’t get too close. Other signs at the post office say things like “Keep Out” and “Tourists Please Photograph From Road.”
To me, Cisco feels like a place that has been photographed, explored, poked, prodded, and disrespected enough times that the people who live here finally decided enough is enough. Honestly? I don’t blame them. And I say this knowing I was taking photos to write a story about about the place. Guilty.
The population of Cisco is less than a dozen. I figure those who stay here want to get away from it all. But here is the part that’s hard to put into words... even though there are just a handful of people here, you feel like you’re being watched by someone. It's not in a threatening horror movie kind of way, but more like a “you are not invisible here" kind of way. There are security cameras. Maybe it's because some visitors have trespassed and didn't respect the private property signs? I don't know. With all the abandoned buildings mixed in with a few occupied homes, you just get a sense that whoever is on the other side of those security cameras wishes you would just go away. It's not scary, it's just... a feeling.
I didn’t see many people. In fact, the entire time I was there, I only saw one man walking to get his mail. I thought about talking to him to ask about Cisco, but it didn’t feel right. I could be wrong. He might’ve been the nicest guy in the world. But Cisco didn’t feel like a place that wanted conversation. So instead, I asked the internet.
Cisco was founded in the late 1800’s as a railroad water stop and saloon along the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Steam locomotives had to stop often, so towns like Cisco popped up to serve rail workers, ranchers, and travelers moving through the desert.
For a while, Cisco grew. Oil and gas discoveries nearby in the early 1900’s gave it another boost. At its peak, around 200 people lived here. But like so many western towns, progress arrived. Steam trains gave way to gas engines. Rail stops disappeared. And when Interstate 70 opened, traffic bypassed Cisco entirely. What was once essential became unnecessary to the outside world.
Today, there’s a general store here called Buzzards Belly. The name fits. It was closed when I visited, which somehow felt appropriate. I hope to come back one day when it is open. Just across the street from the store is something that makes you stop and tilt your head.
It’s a sign that says “Hello Mars.” Behind it is a car buried diagonally in the dirt. The steering column is separated from the body, positioned so you can sit in the seat and “drive” a vehicle that clearly isn’t going anywhere. There’s also a bomb next to the car.
I have no idea what this is all about. Art? Statement? Joke? Inside reference? No clue. Cisco doesn’t explain itself and that’s part of its odd charm. The art makes me feel like maybe whoever lives here wants you to at least peek at their town for a few minutes.
There also appear to be nightly rentals, hinted at by signs that say “Guests Only.” That means some people choose to stay here. Maybe for the solitude. The silence. The distance from everything. I can see the appeal. Or maybe it's a trick to make it feel a tad more welcoming? Ha! I'm letting my thoughts creep in.
So, should you visit? If you’re looking for a polished attraction with friendly tour guides, restaurants, gas stations, and coffee shops, Cisco probably isn’t for you.
But if you like weird places that feel like they’re holding onto their stories, and places that make you wonder instead of entertain, then yes, you should visit Cisco.
Just please remember to be respectful. This isn’t a ghost town for your amusement. It’s alive, even if barely, with people who want their space. Let your camera do the talking from the road. Feel the place. And then quietly move on.
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