Dugway Geode Beds

I've made this trip three times, always with the boy scouts. First in the Fall of 1999, and then again in the Spring of 2005 and Spring 2008. This is a fun trip out into the middle of an arid wasteland with its own stark beauty. The trip is 2-3 hours from the Wasatch Front, depending on where you live and how fast you are willing to drive over the dirt roads. You could do it as a day trip, but I've always done it as an overnighter. The last two times we backpacked in from the road. The reward at the end is digging for small geodes; spheres of crystal that are often hollow. They look round and fairly dull on the outside, but are quite beautiful on the inside. (Like me!)

Here are the directions to get there from Orem:
1. Head north on I-15 N toward Salt Lake
2. Take exit 279 for Main St toward Lehi 0.3 mi
3. Turn left at E Main St 1.3 mi
4. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto W Main St 3.1 mi
5. Continue on W 8570 N/UT-73 25.5 mi
6. Turn right at Faust Rd 13.6 mi
7. Head south on UT-36 0.1 mi
8. Turn right toward Hatch Ranch Rd 12.6 mi
9. Turn left at Hatch Ranch Rd 0.1 mi
10. Turn right at Lookout Pass Rd 1.2 mi
11. Slight right toward Simpson Springs Rd 11.9 mi
12. Turn left at Simpson Springs Rd 0.8 mi
13. Turn right at Pony Express Rd 3.4 mi
14. Head southwest on Pony Express Rd/Simpson Springs Callao Rd 23.3 mi

Once you get to the turnoff from the Pony Express Road you need to either park and walk in couple of miles, or drive. The vast majority of people drive. It's no problem with a 4WD and you can do it with a 2WD if you are careful at a few bumpy spots. There are roads of various quality all over here and finding the digs can be a bit of a challenge. Below are a couple of maps that may help. The topographic maps of the area are way out of date when it comes to the roads and 4WD trails, so ignore them. But the lay of the land hasn't changed, so they are helpful in that regard.

Topographic Map of the Area

Sketch of the roads, not to scale, but accurate as of Spring 2008

The mineral rights here are privately owned, even though this is public land. You are apparently free to glean through the pits the owners have dug to hunt for big geodes. A shovel and a bucket are a big help, but not strictly necessary. A hammer would help too, if you need an immediate payoff for the long drive, but you should try to save your more promising finds for when you get back to town. You can saw them open with a rock or tile saw, and they are much more attractive that way.

Geodes form when water seeping through the rock deposits minerals into cavities. Over the eons the minerals build up in layers, that can often be seen in cross section when you cut open the geodes. The surface layer is usually crystals and is very pretty. At the Dugway site, the rock is mostly volcanic; primarily Rhyolite. It's a fairly soft whitish rock, and the crystals that form in the cavities are much harder than the surrounding rock. When the rock is exposed by weathering, it erodes away relatively quickly leaving the harder lumps of minerals behind. These roll down the mountainsides and are washed down further when there is heavy rain. Virtually all the good sites at Dugway are near dry washes and are in loose dirt deposited by seasonal rainstorms.

View of the main digs, Spring 2008

Geode sample from Spring 2005

Here's the location in Google Maps. The map and terrain views show the current 4WD roads fairly accurately if you zoom in.

View Larger Map