In Search of Treasure: Best Places to Use a Metal Detector
Beneath the layers of Earth and Water lies hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. You can find it buried nearly everywhere, whether in the form of old coins, lost jewelry, or old relics. However, To kick off fruitful metal hunting, you need to pinpoint the areas bearing higher possibilities.
In the world of metal hunting, ‘where to find’ is the most fret-over question, making everyone scratch their heads in frustration. Actually, it is not that hard once you have a clear target and sufficient knowledge of possible spots.
Today, we want to take some burden off of you and reveal a few hotspots to take your detectors to and kick off your metal hunting spree.
How to Find Good Places to Metal Detect?
How to find a good place for metal detecting greatly depends upon what you are looking for. Each place has its own history and frequent activities, making them good prospects for respective types of buried metals.
If you are seriously interested in the best hunting grounds, dig into the history books and begin your research. Once you get to it, it is relatively easy to find a list of possible spots in your city or town and – if lucky- a list of targets that you might discover.
Here are some topic suggestions that you can research at your local library. Let’s do some digging before actual digging.
- Local landmark
- Abandoned houses
- Old Churches
- Places affected by Natural Disaster
- Civil war battlefields
- Historical Parks
- Emigrant routes and Wagon train
- Discovery of ores.
- Old Outhouses or Privy Pits
The more old places your town has preserved, the better your prospects of finding lost artifacts, antique bottles, relics, jars, coins, jewelry, and so much more. All you need to do is do your research and make a checklist of places to be explored.
Top 15 Hotspots For Metal Detecting
Some places naturally bear higher chances of finding something valuable. We have compiled a list of some of the best places to use a metal detector for metal hunting hobbyists, enthusiasts, and professionals. Let’s dive into it.
- Your Yard
It is hard to trust, but your adventurous spots have great potential for metal detecting. Unbeknownst to many, they have been living above centuries-old houses even if their homes are newly built. There are so many stories of people finding buried jewelry or coins beneath their backyards. Who knows, you might be among those lucky ones.
- City Parks
Public Parks are one of the most accessible locations for metal hunting. You usually don’t have to get permission, and hundreds if not thousands of people visit the area, making it a good prospect for metal hunting. Spend a day or two searching around the bushes, trees, and thorough ground to try your luck.
- CampGrounds
Campgrounds in the state and county parks may have permit issues, but they can be fun to search for metals. This is one of the places offering a wealth of all kinds of treasures for you to find
- Old Barns
Back in the old times, people had little to no trust in banks. Many preferred to bury their money and valuables deep in their barns. If your town has one such barn, you may be lucky to find some old-age tools and other stuff.
5. Beaches
Beaches are popular spots for metal hunting, especially Gold and old coins. It is a lot easier to dig sand at the beach and fill it back than at any other hunting ground.
Tip: Usually visited beach sides can be a good spot for detecting since people drop a lot of stuff. But this exact reason attracts many hunters. In our opinion, it is better to find beach sides where no population visits often. That is where you are more likely to find washed-off treasures, gold nuggets, and ancient relics.
6. Rivers & Streams
A small stream, river bank, or even a creek bank is a nice place to hit some metal detecting adventure. Find shallow waters where it is easier for you to dig around. The rivers and streams naturally carry things with currents, making the banks a good place for metal hunting.
Caution: Don’t forget to take waterproof metal detectors, and don’t go near heavy currents.
7. Natural Stripes
Natural stripes are the areas between the roads and the residence society. These strips are among the best places for casual metal hunting to find buried ores and coins.
8. Sports Fields
Sports fields are expansive. The immense ground and encompassing acres put forth a good opportunity to bring your metal detectors and dig around. Avoid areas with players and playing areas. Search next to trees or fences, behind the goals or posts, and around the concessions.
9. Old Schools
If you can find abandoned old schools, luck is on your side. But if they are still in use, permission will be crucial. But once you have it, old schools make a great place to metal hunt. Try your luck when class is not in session.
10. Ski Resorts
In several cities and countries, ski resorts are infamous for lost jewelry items. Hyped with excitement, Skiers tend to lose their rings, chains, bracelets, and more of such stuff while taking off their gear or unfastening equipment. The lost stuff ends up in the snow for you to find during the off-season.
11. Old Drive-In Theaters
Drive-ins are ideal for picking up lost coins. People make round trips from snack bars to their vehicles in the dark, all while ensuring that they do not disturb other movie watchers. They are bound to drop some change, making way for you to discover them.
12. Traveling Carnivals and Fairs
Metal detecting after Fairs and carnivals is more of a time rather than a spot to detect. Mark the areas of food booths and crazy rides that flip the occupants.
13. Churches
Churches are excellent places to hunt as well. If you get your permission, take the opportunity to hunt, but stay clear of any cemeteries.
14. Ghost Towns
I’d say Ghost towns are the best places to hunt for coins, jewelry, relics, and other similar valuables. All you have to do is ensure that you are legally allowed to hunt the town.
15. Rest Stops
Rest stops are visited by thousands of people each day, making it inevitable for them to drop a thing or two for you to discover. State and county rest stops are likely off-limits, but a lot of rural stops can do.
Ideal Places For Gold Hunt
Not many people are lucky enough to stumble upon goldfields and their natural reservoirs, but it doesn’t hurt to dream and try. Searchers usually find Gold Nuggets in places like:
- Rivers
- Streambeds
- Beach
- Creeks
- Hunting Grounds
- Forest
Over time, alluvial gold deposits when a river runs through the ground. Although the water erodes surrounding rocks, Gold, being heavy in density, tends to settle in the bed. A well-protected area from the flow of water will be an ideal location to hunt for Gold.
For beaches, there are scientifically two ideal ways to find Gold. One is the area of the beach close to the mouth of a gold-bearing river. Second is to look for pyrite, small quartz, and black sands that are good indicators of the presence of Gold in the area.
Get the Right Gold Detector
To ensure a successful gold hunt, equipping yourself with the best metal detectors is crucial. Several standard metal detectors are not proficient enough to distinguish gold from trash or other metals. Global manufacturers of metal detectors, like Garrett and Fisher Research Labs, have the best gold detector series, which is ideal for searching for gold nuggets. Equip yourself right to enhance your possibility of a profitable harvest.
Final Thoughts
All of the places mentioned above are the most common places, but their productive capacity may differ from state to state. So, Keep up your research and skim down the places with the best possibilities within your region.
