Metal Detecting Sites

General metal detecting sites

Fair, carnival, or circus grounds

Public parks and picnic areas

Public school grounds

Beaches (dry sand) or underwater

All swimming holes

Ballfields (baseball, football, soccer)

Old homesites

Fishing spots along creek banks and rivers

Revival grounds, brush arbor sites, baptism sites in creeks

Where, when, and how

BEACHES have been overworked for the most part and it is often necessary to focus your search in areas of highest activity (or where drinking is allowed) near volleyball courts, under boardwalks, under almost any beach construction where crowds go. Where concession stands are located, in the edge of the grass, or over the dune look for private sites where couples go. If the beach is full of trash then look where you find plenty of coins and then set to all metal and dig everything. If the beach is too active to hunt then wait for summer showers to chase the crowd away or hunt at night. Protect your detector from splashing waves and check underwater for rings.

SCHOOLS the monkey bars, gravel beds, and sand play areas have been probably overworked by others so look where the boys go on a grassy field to play, and look for the area where others sit in the shade. Boys are always looking for a hill to roll down and almost everyone forget about this one. Check around the bottom of the hill and then along the sides and top. These days lazy teachers try to exhaust the kids and have them run around the field to tire them out. Look on both sides of the trail where they run.

BALLFIELDS Check on ballfields where natural grass is growing but avoid those places where attendants seed and fertilize the ground. Check the infield and outfield and use the all metal setting if possible. I find that soda cans are blasted to bits by the mower and scattered almost everywhere so you might have to use some discrimination. You must look for concession stands and phone booths that are on grass; the tall grass is best. Under stadiums where there is a lot of grass is very good. I have found that stadiums that are located between the goals along the side of soccer fields where people have to walk a long way on the grass to be excellent. Check the stadium seats and all along the grassy area where folks walk.

How to research old sites

In older times folks had other activities and went to different kinds of sites. Your research should not overlook all kinds of places from decades ago to hundreds of years in the past. Before air conditioning many folks had to deal with the overbearing heat and would go swimming where people do not swim today. Check at the library of all of the older small towns around and start with the microfilm of the oldest newspapers. Look for pictures where groups gather for picnics, fairgrounds, racetracks, and swimming beaches. Look for the railroad depot and try to gather information about church baptisms and revivals. It is necessary to write it all down on a notepad and a good idea to put it on your computer. Copy all maps of the area or note locations for reference. Most small towns have a local author who has done a lot of the work for you in the form of a small book about the town history. Talk to the oldest citizens about the town's history and make notes. If the area was involved in a historic battle like the Civil war try to get maps of the area and read historic accounts of the battle. Go to the county seat town and to the library, where they should have the best information about the county. Abandoned ghost towns can be found almost everywhere but many have decayed into the earth or been blown away by storm.

Remember that you must not overlook early campsites, stagecoach stops, horse race tracks, and railroad stops. Research for all old mining areas and check with the state for information on geological sites of interest. Every time you hear a good tip write it down and keep a list of your best sites and finds Don't forget to get permission from the landowner. If you find something really neat you can take a picture of it with your camera and take it to the photo shop where they can put it on CDROM, then if you like you can send the picture and story to a website where it will be posted for everyone to enjoy

Topographical Maps are available for your research and have use for prospectors and Civil War information such as names of little hills where battles were fought, also may have use for elevated sites along the seashore that were always sought out as places to bury things that would not be swept out to sea in a storm. Early townsites were also found at these locations.

Click on the index map and indicate your state, select from the USGS dealer nearest you.

I used this reference to order a 1836 map of Galveston when Texas declared independence from Mexico!