Where to Metal Detect
You got a new metal detector and are excited but stumped where to metal detect. Below is a list of common and not-so-common places to consider detecting. Please make sure you have permission to metal detect the site by asking the local authorities or getting permission from property owners. Always dig clean nice holes that you fill back in. Also always carry out and dispose of any garbage you dig up such as can slaw, pull tabs, melted tin, rented tent stakes…… The key is to leave the place as good or better than when you started metal detecting it. Happy Metal Detecting
Best Metal Detecting Sites
| Abandoned Houses and Structures |
| Airport Public Viewing Areas |
| Amusement Parks |
| Areas Adjacent to Historical Markers |
| Areas Around Old Abandoned Cemeteries. – Metal detect where they would have parked their horse buggies and cars. |
| Areas Around Skating Ponds |
| Areas where Old Trails Cross County or State Boundaries |
| Athletic Sports Fields, New and Historial Fields |
| Band Shells |
| Battle Sites See article How to Find Civil War Artifacts Metal Detecting in Any State |
| Bridges |
| Campgrounds, New and Abandoned |
| Church Outdoor Gathering Areas and Parking Lots |
| Circus and Fair Grounds |
| City and Town Parks |
| Disaster Sites |
| Drive-Ins |
| Farm Fields |
| Farmer Market Areas |
| Fence Posts |
| Fishing Camps |
| Fishing Spots |
| Flea Market Areas |
| Fort Sites |
| Ghost Towns |
| Hiking Trails |
| Hunting Lodges and Camps |
| Junctions of Abandoned Roads. |
| Lookouts and Overlook Sites |
| Lover’s Lanes |
| Military Camp and Cantonment Sites |
| Mining Camps |
| Motels. New and Abandoned |
| Old Barns and Outbuildings |
| Old Churches |
| Old Garbage Dumps |
| Old Gas Stations and General Stores |
| Old Homestead Sites |
| Old Property Lines |
| Old School and Old School Sites |
| Old Stone Quarries |
| Old Taverns |
| Picnic Groves |
| Piles of Scraped Soil at Construction Sites |
| Playgrounds |
| Racetracks |
| Railroad Stations and Stops |
| Resorts, New and Abandoned |
| Reunion Areas |
| Revival sites |
| Roadside Fruit and Vegetable Stands |
| Roadside Rest Stops |
| Rodeo Arenas |
| Rural Boundary Walls |
| Outdoor Dance Sites |
| Scout Camps |
| Sidewalk Grassy Strips |
| Ski Hills |
| Swimming Holes and Areas |
| Town Squares |
| Urban Yards and Backyards |
| Vacant Lots |
| Waterfalls |
| Wells and Outhouses. Specifically, The Paths Leading to Them |
| Winter Sledding Areas |
Joanna Jana Laznicka, a Czech-Canadian residing in Southern California, is passionate about all things associated with metal detecting. She mainly detects on the West Coast, from Southern California to Northern British Columbia. As the founder of Focus Speed, her goal is to bring quality content to metal detectorists.
My name is Lionel I live in lakewood California and I’m always looking for places to detect , but I’m not sure where because I don’t know how legal it is to hunt in parks or schools
In my years of hunting, permission is paramount! Ask even if it’s public. Being polite works as well even if you are declined access. NEVER dress as if you’re a coal miner and leave your machine secured in your car. I usually arrive with a code of detecting ethics, pics of my finds (on my phone) and a permission sheet. My sheet included my contact info, ethics, duration that I am authorized to hunt the property. I also ensured the owner that they get to see what was recovered. I hope this helps!