Old Zoo Nature Trails

Walked the trails at Old Zoo Nature Trails and honestly it was a really cool little stop. The old zoo ruins mixed with the hiking trails made it feel a little eerie but in a fun way. Easy walk, good scenery, and definitely something different if you’re passing through Cisco. Not a huge destination spot, but worth checking out if you like random hidden-gem type places.

This place is awesome, and I really hope we can make our way back someday because the trails are beautiful to hike and we spent about an hour trying to find as many of the old animal medallions as we could, but I think some of them have been lost due to time, weather, or bad people stealing them. It seems to be maintained by volunteers only, so some of the paths are a little overgrown (watch out for thorn bushes), but we still had so much fun and it’s honestly just very cool to walk through this old zoo from the 1920s - 1930s! While you’re on your way out here, make sure to read the history of why the zoo closed down (mystery!) and take a picture of the map at the entrance to help you on your mission to find the various animal medallions. I hope you have better luck than we did, but maybe we’ll be able to come back and find more! There are bathrooms, a playground, and a decent amount of parking. You can also get a nice view of the dam and the lake while you’re here, just make sure not to cross the boundary into private property, according to some tips I read online they’re kind of sensitive about it but we didn’t experience any issues on our visit!

Worth the drive to hike the Old Zoo Nature Trails. We combined our visit with lunch at one of the non-franchise restuarants along the way. It is depressing to see the size of the cages the animals were regulated to during their time there. I do wish people would keep the spray paint at home. Take a picture of the totem at the gate to search for all the medallions through out your hike. The map at the gate shows where the trails and medallions are located. There is also a QR code one can scan in order to donate to the preservation of the trails and zoo. The Old Zoo Nature Trails are part of a city park, so there are public restrooms across from the gate. Visitors are to start at the flagpole, if you are searching for the medallions they are not all at the zoo cages. Bring a painted rock to add to the "longest" painted snake at the flagpole. If you are just walking the trails along the map, you should be okay in shorts and tennis shoes. If you want to visit the other side, wear long pants and closed toe shoes as there are sticker bushes along the trail. Make sure you bring water with you.

Step back in time at the Old Zoo Nature Trails in Cisco, Texas 🐾🌿 This quiet, scenic hike was once one of Cisco’s busiest recreational areas nearly 100 years ago. The Cisco Zoo opened in the 1920s and featured animals like bears, flamingos, and monkeys, drawing families from all over the region. Many of the stone and concrete enclosures you can still walk past today are original. Right next to the zoo was one of the largest concrete swimming pools of its time, a major summer attraction for the community. Nearby stood a well-known skating rink, which became an important part of local recreation. The rink and pool operated for decades, but the skating rink closed in the 1970s, and the building burned down a few years later, leaving behind remnants that still add to the area’s story. By the 1930s, the zoo itself closed after mysterious animal deaths and declining attendance. While it never reached the fame of Cisco’s Santa Claus Bank Robbery of the 1920s, this area played a big role in everyday life for locals. Today, nature has reclaimed the zoo, pool, and rink areas. What remains are stone staircases, caves, old buildings, animal pens, and peaceful trails along Lake Cisco — a place where history and nature quietly meet. 🏞️✨

Such a cool place! I love that it's slightly maintained but still seems rewilded!