Open
Open year-round. Potable water is available seasonally but shut off during winter months. Sites 1-10 are reservable via Recreation.gov; sites 11-19 are first-come, first-served. No campground host on site.
About
Simpson Springs Campground occupies a historic location on the Pony Express National Historic Trail in Tooele County, Utah. The site served as a significant Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the late 1930s and early 1940s, predating the establishment of the nearby US Army Dugway Proving Grounds. Today it offers a remote desert camping experience with access to OHV riding, mountain biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing along the scenic Pony Express backcountry byway.
The campground features 20 campsites designed with accessibility in mind, including pull-through gravel parking suitable for side lifts and ramps, wheelchair-accessible water hydrants, elevated fire rings, and cement picnic tables on hard-packed ground. Three accessible vault restrooms serve the area, with a fourth added in late 2024 along with a new group camping area. Potable water is available seasonally but shut off during winter months.
Sites 1-10 can be reserved through Recreation.gov, while sites 11-19 are available first-come, first-served with on-site payment. The campground operates year-round at $15 per night. There is no campground host on site, and visitors should be prepared for primitive conditions in a remote desert environment.
Directions
From I-80, take exit 199 (Tooele) and travel south on Highway 36 for approximately 40 miles. Turn right onto the Pony Express Road and travel for approximately 25 miles. The campground is approximately 12 miles south of Dugway, Utah, on the Pony Express Road.
