Dugway

Dugway

The geode beds in Dugway are a great place to collect geodes. The geodes are can range from 0.25″ to 2′ in diameter. Some have nice clear or milky quartz crystals, and some have white or light-blue chalcedony inside. Most Dugway geodes fluoresce green under UV light. This is due to uranium salts trapped in the chalcedony. The levels of uranium are so low though that it is undetectable. They are fairly easy to collect. Once you have reached the site pick any place to start looking. You’ll want to find a layer of clay and dig into it. The geodes are buried under the clay. It will typically be between 1 and 4 feet down. The clay can be hard and compact so you may want to use a pick to get through it. If you don’t find any clay or geodes move to another spot. The best way to open a geode is to cut it. Breaking it with a hammer could break the crystals inside.


Dugway is a pretty remote site. Make sure to take extra water and food. The roads leading to the site are mostly in good shape, but there are some washouts along the way. To get to Dugway take Highway 36 from Tooele towards Vernon. Just after Faust, a sign identifies the paved road heading west as the Old Pony Express Road. Take that road approximately 50 miles to a BLM sign indicating the turn to the geode beds. Take that road until you find a spot you’d like to stop.

There are some mining claims in Dugway and surrounding areas, so make sure you do not trespass.

Treasures found:
Geodes
Chalcedony

GPS Stats (approx)
North Latitude 39° 52.37’
West Longitude 113° 08.35’