Simpson Springs Campground
Overview
Notice of Construction at Simpson Springs Campground
Start: October 15, 2024
Anticipated completion: December 2024
Simpson Springs is getting a new group site! Over the course of the next 3 months construction crews will be building a new shade structure, 7 tent pads, and a new parking area to facilitate large group camping. Construction will extend into the main access road-- please anticipate delays accessing the campground.
We appreciate your patience while construction crews are at work. Reach out to the BLM Salt Lake Field Office with any questions.
The campground is situated on the eastern edge of Utah's West Desert near the historic Simpson Springs station on the Pony Express National Historic Trail. Simpson Springs was the site of a significant Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in the late 1930s and early 1940s, just prior to the establishment of the US Army Dugway Proving Grounds during World War II.
Recreation
Hiking, picnicking, OHV riding, mountian biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, scenic backcountry byway, Pony Express National Historic Trail.
Facilities
Hiking, picnicking, OHV riding, mountian biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, scenic backcountry byway, Pony Express National Historic Trail.
Natural Features
Campground is along the Pony Express National Historic Trail.
Nearby Attractions
Historic Pony Express National Historic Trail site and visitor interpretation.
contact_info
For facility specific information, please call (801) 320-8300.
Photos
Click on the image above to view more photos of accessibility features at this site.
Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)
The Simpson Springs Campground has 20 campsites with accessibility features, many of which have pull-through parking spots made of compacted gravel. These spots are wide enough to accommodate vehicles equipped with side lifts and ramps for mobility devices.
The campground is situated on a hill. In general, the slope of the road connecting the different parts of the campground exceeds 5 degrees.
There are 3 unisex accessible vault restrooms in the campground, each with 2 toilets but no sinks. A 4th accessible restroom is currently under construction, with a planned completion date of December 2024. These toilets can be readily accessed from the northern portion of the campground. Large rocks have been placed across the road in the southern portion of the campground to prevent washouts, and campers with mobility impairments who use campsites in that southern area may have to use a vehicle to cross the rocks and access the restrooms.
Drinking water is available from 5 hydrants that are dispersed throughout the campground and positioned at a height that can be accessed by visitors in wheelchairs and other mobility devices. However, these hydrants may present challenges to people who have dexterity impairments.
Each campsite has a cement picnic table sitting on hard-packed ground with fixed benches and an open space at either end that can accommodate visitors in wheelchairs. There are no shade structures. Some campsites have flat gravel tent pads bordered by railroad ties, which may present a challenge to people using mobility devices to get over the lip. Campsites are on natural ground, most of which is firm and solid; however, as with all natural surfaces, some areas have terrain that could be a little more challenging.
All sites have accessible fire rings, which are 18” tall and 48” in diameter, with 6” thick walls.
The CCC interpretive site across the road from the campground has additional parking spaces, some of which have access aisles on the side for mobility devices and ramps. The site contains several angled kiosks under a shade structure. There is also an interpretive plaque in front of the Pony Express station replica. All this signage is viewable by visitors who use mobility devices; please note that the pathways to the shade structure and Pony Express station replica are uneven natural surfaces.
Descriptions and photos uploaded July 2024. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.
Phone
Addresses
Geographic Coordinates
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.
Fees
Year round $15.00 per site