Cisco, Utah

“He still opened up at sunrise
And the checker game went on
The cars flew past on highest gas
And the neighbors had sold out and gone…”
–Johnny Cash, Cisco Clifton’s Fillin Station

Not far from Moab, Utah…Not far from the Colorado-Utah line…And just a jaunt from the impersonal trucker and U-Haul corridor of I-70 is the deadtropolis of Cisco, Utah.

It started out as a watering hole for the early railroad (until the diesel engine came on line), then survived a bit longer as a gas and oil town, then survived a bit more with the uranium boom. Now it is in a state of vandalized, end times decay–a bizzare gallery for the curious photographer. Indeed even a few movie directors have been inspired to film a few scenes here: the 1971 version of Vanishing Point, the 1991 film Thelma and Louise, and the 2005 film Don’t Come Knocking.

Does anyone live there? Hard to tell. You kind of feel like you are being watched there…and a few shacks and abandoned RVs have the look of being used by seasonal squatters or campers. Best not to get too curious around some of the ruins…and watch out for rusty nails and glass in the trash and scattered lumber! (See also: Feb 7, 2013 blog entry, “Vanishing Point, Kowlaski, and Cisco, Utah”.)