Cisco, a Ghost Town of Grand County, Utah.

1880s, the Denver and Rio Grande railroad was busy in Grand County, Utah as it delivered supplies, transported livestock and shipped out fuels from wells. Cisco became one of the major stops on the railroad; providing water for the steam engines and relaxation for passengers in the saloon. As the 19th century drew closer to its end, more work crews and travelers came through Cisco and required more amenities: stores, hotels and restaurants sprang up to accommodate. In the nearby Book Cliffs (north of Interstate 70), cattle ranchers and sheep herders began using Cisco as a livestock and provision center. By the turn of the 20th century, over 100,000 sheep were sheared in Cisco before being shipped to markets.

In 1924, oil and natural gas were found and the wells were popping up all around Cisco which became the largest provider of these fuels in Utah.  In the 1940s, over 200 people called Cisco home, and it was assigned its own US Postal Code, 84515.  In the 1950s, the railroad switched to diesel engines which meant water stops were no longer needed for the old coal engines.  It looked like Cisco was about to join the ranks of ghost towns until uranium and vanadium were found; mining kept the town alive, but only for a short while.  In the 1960s, the mines began closing down when the dangers of uranium were discovered; in the 1970s, construction of Interstate 70 bypassed the town.  Like Thompson Springs, another ghost town in Grand County, the bottom fell out of Cisco, but to such an extent that the residents moved away and left everything behind.   Since 2005, new oil wells have been dug occasionally, but the town could not be revived.

While considered a ghost town, it lives on in many ways; Cisco is still served by the Union Pacific Railroad where a rail siding remains in use; The California Zephyr passenger train passes through, but is not a scheduled stop. During the summer months, whitewater river rafters use Cisco as a landing site, mainly for a trip through Westwater Canyon, and the Kokopelli mountain bike trail passes through Cisco.  A fiber switch substation was installed at Cisco by Emery Telecom, so DSL is available through this substation.  Scenes from the movies, "Vanishing Point" in 1971, "Thelma and Louise" in 1991 and "Don't Come Knocking" in 2005 were filmed in Cisco.



How to find Cisco?  If you're traveling up from Moab, drive along scenic highway Route 128 parallel to the Colorado River. Plan on at least a one and a half to two hour drive, as there is so much beautiful scenery to view, such as La Sal Loop Road, Fisher Towers and Castle Valley.  If coming off of Interstate 70, take exits 204 or 214 and follow the signs to Route 128/Cisco.

While driving closer to Cisco, you will notice how the landscape changes to flat, sage brush covered desolation; a perfect setting for a southwestern ghost town.  You'll see the town before the signs tell you that you've arrived; obviously old, run down. abused by the elements and vandals.

On Route 128, coming from Moab.

Gas Station
 

Featured in the film, "Vanishing Point" is the old gas station.  In the 1950s, it was owned by Ray and Mabel Scott and was the last surviving business before Cisco "closed down" altogether.  There is a legend concerning this very gas station; how true it is I cannot tell you, as I can find no records verifying the account. However, when a long haired biker stopped for gas and took off without paying, the owner shot him and was jailed. His wife, a cantankerous woman, would only serve those whom she felt like serving, with the door kept closed and customers having to knock to get in. If she opened the door, a big dog would often bite the ankle of the customer; if the potential customer kicked the dog, she would refuse to serve them. However, if they stayed calm, they would be allowed to purchase a meal. Again, I can find no information verifying if this was the Scotts, another couple, or if the incident did, in fact, occur at all.





The first main street leads towards the country store; fenced in, but interesting to look at, especially the outdoor restroom.

Country Store

 

Every street has buildings covered with "private property", "no trespassing" signs and we respected those signs.  At one end of town, we discovered an oil well and this made us wonder if one of the trailer homes that looked fairly new belonged to a worker of the oil company or security guard.  There was not a human living soul about though, but plenty of pronghorn deer (antelope) and prairie dogs.  Oh, the town seems to have become a place where unwanted vehicles are dumped and forgotten about.



This building was used in the film, "Vanishing Point"

...and finally, the post office which earned its very own zip code in the 1940s, but I highly doubt any mail is being delivered to 84515 any longer.

Cisco Post Office, zip code 84515.

Vehicles with curious onlookers slowly drove through the town now and then; perhaps a visitors center is needed here?  Anyway, if you're interested in ghost towns, take a ride through Cisco; forgotten by time and its own residents.

Mary Cokenour

Castle Valley and its Towers.

In this post I'm going to come forward in time, but travel backwards down Route 128; or forwards depending on whether you came from Interstate 70 or not.  Confused?  Depending on which internet mapping system you use, or paper maps, getting to Moab from Interstate 70 can be done in two ways.  First there is the all highway quick way: Interstate 70 to the Crescent Junction (Route 191) exit straight down into Moab; the closer you get to Moab, the more scenic the landscape.  The second way is to take Interstate 70 to the Cisco (Route 128) exit which will weave you along the Colorado River, through Castle Valley, past La Sal Loop Road and eventually to Route 191 and Moab itself.  Roy and I have done both, and the second way is the one we tell new visitors to the area; it is not only more scenic, it will totally blow your mind!

When we first traveled the route from the Cisco exit, we came upon the sign that lead to Fisher Towers (about 25 miles from Route 191 and Moab).  Unfortunately our car could not traverse the ungraded rock and dirt road, so while we saw the Towers from a distance, we could not see The Corkscrew formation.  However that has changed; Grand County has been working on the roads to make them more accessible to all types of vehicles, not just 4 wheel drive.  The landscape is not being ruined with concrete and paved roads, but with highly graded dirt roads that, while bumpy if in a car, still give more visitors access to sites. 



Ok, here comes the plug; this poor travel blogger only has a car, so cannot go gallivanting to sites until hubby has days off from work; he has the one SUV we own.  So, if any outfitters or travel businesses would love to provide me with an SUV or Jeep; put all the logos you want on it for advertising, and I can go practically anywhere to keep this travel blog full of photos and information.  Consider it a very, very Win-Win partnership.  Now back to our featured presentation...

As I mentioned, Fisher Towers is about 25 miles from Route 191 in Moab; Cutler and Moenkopi sandstone, caked in our ever present red mud.  It almost feels as if you are looking at the landscape of Mars.  Climbers love these towers, and they've been featured in films (Austin Powers in Goldmember) and commercials.  Coming in from the Cisco exit, the valley opens up to reveal the Towers, and your imagination immediately thinks "castle".  Remember, we are in Castle Valley, and the formations are magical.




Fisher Towers
 

From the Fisher Towers area, Castleton Tower and The Rectory can be seen six miles in the distance.





After having a full day out along Route 128, traveling back towards Moab for a highly deserved good meal was number one on the mind.  Getting home and sleeping as soundly as the stone formations we had experienced...priceless.

Mary Cokenour

Along the Colorado River to La Sal Loop Road.

Jumping back in time once again; and feeling very much like a companion of Doctor Who's.  My first full day in Moab, Roy decided to introduce me to the Colorado River as it runs parallel to Route 128.  This first trip along the route only took us as far as La Sal Loop Road, but if you go along you'll eventually see the ghost town of Cisco which was a main water stop for the steam locomotives of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.  Route 128 continues on to Interstate 70, so you can take that West towards Moab again; stopping at Thompson Springs is a must if you're interested in ghost towns and petroglyphs, or head on East to Colorado.

Now when you first turn onto Route 128, there is a small pull in area that has a little pipe sticking out of the wall and water runs from it.  This is called "Matrimony Springs" and the legend is that if you drink the water from the spring, you'll come back to Moab, get married and live out your days there.  Roy and I drank from the spring in October 2008, moved to the area in 2009, and were officially married in October 2010 in Moab and by the Mayor, David Sakrison.  Coincidence?  We don't believe in coincidence.


All along the route you will be surrounded by immense sandstone walls, boulder areas and sand; the desire to park your vehicle, get out and begin to explore will be strong, very strong.  The route is narrow and curvy, so park in the pull in, or parking areas along the roadway.




You'll be driving parallel along the Colorado River for most of the drive along Route 128; some of the viewpoint areas offer spectacular photo opportunities.  There are so many areas to pull over and have a picnic meal while watching the river flow with white tipped waves. While there are a few spots where you can actually go into the river for a dip, be careful as it runs fast and you don't want to be swept away.





Canyonlands at Night and Day
 

In Moab, there are many "adventure" businesses that offer rafting trips; Canyonlands at Night offers a dinner/boat trip along the river at night; cowboy style dinner and then a soothing ride along the river with music and history.  We took the Canyonlands at Night trip on our 2006 visit, and I still get goosebumps remembering the experience; and they give you one heck of a dinner!  That was also my first experience seeing hummingbirds in flight; there were those red feeders that hold the honey water hanging around the outside dining area; the little birds zipped and zoomed around our heads and I laughed with childlike delight.  Good experience, really good experience.

The first real road you'll be able to turn onto is La Sal Loop Road which takes you up into the La Sal Mountains and through the Manti-La Sal National Forest; there is a 5 mile long side road which leads to Warner Lake and a campground.  This road is two laned, curvy and narrow; we didn't make it very far up before finding a turn around spot and retracing our steps. Why?  Well when you're on the passenger side, looking down 3,000 feet into a canyon, you do a lot of screaming as there is no shoulder.  My mother-in-law tells me that no one has ever driven off the edge of the roadway into the canyon.  However, Roy and I are known for doing a lot of things for the first time together, so we didn't want to be the first ones over the edge.   We did try coming up the Loop Road from the Ken's Lake entrance, but same result...I screamed like there was no tomorrow.  I have been getting better though as we try out new adventures, so I plan on trying again this year to do the entire Loop.  No doubt I'll be writing about the experience.





Pickup Truck and Boat
 

Before you reach that point of the road leading up into the mountains, you'll pass some interesting formations.  Actually, the first ones you'll notice immediately as you make the turn onto the road from Route 128.  There is a pickup truck pulling a boat; not the actual vehicles, but sandstone formations that highly resemble them.







The Rectory (left), Castleton Tower (right)
 



Castleton Tower
 

Castleton Tower, a desert tower, has been used in many television commercials.  Remember the one where the man leaves a house, parachutes down a sandstone tower and walks to his SUV?   Right next to it is The Rectory, also known as The Priest and Nuns.









 Before I forget, along Route 128 there is a giant Desert Rose that you can park near to explore further.  Naturally formed out of sandstone by the wind and rain, this Rose is about 5 feet high and six to seven feet wide.  I've only seen the smaller version in museums, but I keep looking anyway for one to add to my collection.



There's a little taste of Route 128, starting in Moab and heading towards Cisco.  I'm exhausted just remembering it; time for a coffee break.

Mary Cokenour