Camp Clipper and Camp Essex were subcamps of the US Army's Desert Training Center in San Bernardino County, California, located near Historic Route 66 and the Santa Fe Railway.

The main headquarters for the Desert Training Center was Camp Young.

The site of Camp Essex is located near the Fenner Rest Area in Fenner, California, on Interstate 40 and Route 66, 32 miles (51 km) west of Needles in San Bernardino County, California, near the town of Essex.

When completed, Camp Clipper had 36 shower buildings, an outdoor theater, 191 latrines, 149 wooden tent frames, and a 50,000-gallon water tank.

The camp closed on 16 March 1944 and is now overseen by the Bureau of Land Management.