Top 10 Metal Detecting Locations You Never Thought Of

I’ve been metal detecting for more than 15 years now, and let me say—a “secret” to my top finds isn’t special equipment or a magic technique. It’s plain old research and being willing to search places other people don’t.

My buddy Mike always says I’m “lucky,” but there’s nothing lucky about spending hours digging through historical archives and talking to old-timers about places people gathered 80 years ago. That’s work, not luck!

So I’m sharing my personal top 10 list of overlooked metal detecting locations that have paid off big time for me. Fair warning though—some of these might require permission from landowners, and always check local regulations about detecting. I’ve had my share of awkward conversations with property owners and park rangers!

1. Circus Arrangements: Weirder, the Better

The traveling circus might seem like a thing of the past, but even in the 1950s, they were still pitching their tents in fields around America. My prized finds from these hunts included, not a coin, but a performer’s ID badge from the 1930s that I sold to a collector for enough money to buy my AT Pro detector!

The key with circus grounds is understanding their layout. The big top wasn’t the only attraction—there were sideshows, food stands, ticket booths. Each area yields different finds. I focus on where the ticket booths likely stood because that’s where money changed hands.

Avoid open areas like the fairground, which get regularly visited by the police. Read old newspapers with advertisements for the “circus in town” and note how they explain the location. Sometimes they would set up their grounds in the same farmer’s field year after year.

2. Disguised Swimming Holes

The first Mercury dime I ever found came from an old swimming spot locally known as “Devil’s Dip” about 20 miles outside Sacramento. The spot hasn’t seen swimmers since the 1950s, but back in its day, hundreds of people would pack this riverbank every summer weekend.

Swim holes are absolute magnets for treasures–think about it. People with no pockets splash around in the water, unaware of the things they leave behind them. It’s more than once that I’ve found silver dimes at Devil’s Dip, the dimes the previous day slid from someone’s hand. The persistent wetness and the mud provide a low-oxygen zone that perfectly protects coins.

An inquisitive researcher’s eye is priceless in discovering those secret places. I start my search with Facebook groups for local history buffs—many of whom have photos of swimming holes missing from modern maps.

3. Old Boxing Match Locations (My Favorite)

I became fascinated by the genre when researching different issues in the records of my hometown. A newspaper announcement caught my eye as a newspaper ad dated in 1932, advertising an exhibition fight “at Miller’s Field, west of town.” That field sits in emptiness today, a vacant lot by a run-down gas station.

First time out there, my detector hit on something big about 8 inches down. Turned out to be a brass betting token from the matches! I’ve since found similar locations in three neighboring counties, each one yielding pre-WWII coins and boxing-related items.

These sites are especially great for those interested in finding silver. People wore their finest clothes to boxing events, coming with money for betting as well as drinks. In the excitement of the events, numerous valuables were lost and never recovered.

4. Makeshift racetracks and drag strips

My detecting buddy Tom is the “race guy” in our club. He specifically looks for impromptu racing spots from the 50s-70s. His approach is genius—he finds older car enthusiasts at local auto shows and just asks where they used to race before tracks were formalized.

One former drag strip outside Folsom has been Tom’s honey hole for years. He focuses on the staging areas where cars lined up and spectators gathered. Last month he pulled a 1964 class ring that some teenage spectator must have lost while cheering.

The greatest racing courses are not the officially approved tracks, with their rigid rules. Rather, one should find the humble communal places the neighborhood people go to—unpaved straightaway stretches in rural settings, abandoned airstrips, or clay ovals located in abandoned lots.

I’ve had mixed luck with these sites myself, but I did find my first-ever Walking Liberty half dollar at an old motorcycle hill climb spot. The coin was bent from apparently being run over, but still worth about $50!

5. Lesser-Known Train Stops

Anybody and his brother has seen the old train station in downtown. However, what about the “milk stop” three miles out of town, where the train would stop to pick up milk and other products from the area farmers?

Here is an abandoned railroad map.

These whistle-stops rarely had actual buildings—maybe just a small platform or loading area. The railroad museums won’t have them on maps because they weren’t official stations. This is where talking to old-timers really pays off.

I spent three weekends detecting around a forgotten train stop near Auburn after an 87-year-old former conductor mentioned it during a historical society meeting. Found over 30 Indian Head pennies and my first seated Liberty dime there. The spot doesn’t even look special—just a slight widening in the road near the old rail bed.

Warning though: many old rail lines are now trails, and detecting might be prohibited. Always check the regulations and get permission.

6. Old Flea Market grounds

This one’s tricky because you need to distinguish between modern flea markets (usually picked clean by detectorists) and the pop-up markets from the 1930s-60s. These older markets were often held in the same field or lot for decades before being forgotten.

My strangest flea market find wasn’t even something for sale—it was a vendor’s change apron with seven Mercury dimes still in the pocket, buried under about 6 inches of soil. Must have been lost during setup or teardown.

One will have to dig into the subtleties buried between the folds of age-old newspapers. Look for advertisements that have the words “community market” or “traders day” rather than the modern-day antecedent “flea market”.

7. Riverboat Landings

If you live near any navigable river, you’re missing out if you haven’t researched old riverboat stops. Modern boat ramps aren’t what I’m talking about—I mean the places where paddle wheelers and steam boats docked 100+ years ago.

My detecting club traveled as a group to an abandoned Sacramento Delta landing, which had been untouched since the 1870s. All together, the six of us dug up more than 40 coins, three of which were seated Liberty quarters. Preservation in the mud was amazing—one coin even still had traces of original mint luster!

The difficulty with the riverboat sites is their accessibility and the constantly changing shorelines. Rivers are dynamic, and what was a landing in 1860 can today be under water or completely silted in. In order to locate these places, I superimpose old maps over modern ones, and then check them during the low-water seasons.

8. Unique Concert Venues

I nearly didn’t include this category because, honestly, it’s been hit-or-miss for me. But when it hits, it HITS. Case in point: a farmer outside Grass Valley used to let bands play on his property in the late 60s. Nothing Woodstock-sized, mind you—just local shows with maybe 200-300 people.

First time detecting there, I found exactly two pull-tabs and a rusty nail. Was about to write it off when my detector gave a solid hit near where the makeshift stage would have been. Dug down about 5 inches and found a 14k gold ring with a small diamond. Best single find I’ve ever made, value-wise.

The secret to finding concert locations is to find the exact spot where individuals gathered. Look for the ever-so-slightly depressed areas where crowds used to stand, or the flat spots where the stages used to stand. And wear good boots—I’ve picked up more pieces of broken glass in these areas than actual treasures!

9. Scout Jamborees Outside of the Traditional Camps

Scout camps are well-known among detectorists, but the sites for a jamboree are a different story altogether. While everyday camps experience persistent, though limited, use, the transient, passionate gatherings of hundreds if not thousands occur at a jamboree.

I grasped this distinction after befriending a retired Scout leader who told me about a fabulous jamboree on a farm just outside the town in 1953. He let me search the property, courteously warning me that “every inch has been plowed with those machines.”

He was wrong. First day out, I found 13 wheat pennies, a silver quarter, and—the prize of my collection—a 1925 Boy Scout Region 12 medal. The regular detectorists had hit the obvious areas but missed the outer camping zones where troops from different counties set up.

The challenge in research is in separating the usual Scout activities from true jamborees. The Scout councils keep remarkably complete records, and most are more than happy to help if you approach them with the proper respect.

10. Neighborhood Tot Lots Before Modern Parks

Contemporary playgrounds are under constant surveillance. Yet what about the vernacular play spaces that existed long before municipal parks became commonplace?

In older neighborhoods (pre-1960s development), there were often small play areas with minimal equipment—maybe just a slide and swing set on a vacant lot. These “tot lots” weren’t official parks and don’t appear on city maps, but kids used them daily.

I came across one such site when a elderly neighbor mentioned the “slide lot,” a childhood playground of hers in the 1940s. Now it exists as a barren space among homes, with no sign of the lively past as a popular playground. Metal detecting for three hours yielded seven silver dimes and a buffalo nickel.

That equipment was brutal by today’s standards—made wholly of metal with no protective qualities. Children climbed monkey-style, hanging upside down as coins spilled out of their pockets. If you were lucky enough to find these abandoned sites, it was a treasure hunt in abundance!

Authentic Key: Real Research Methods That Succeed. Metal detecting maps help.

Rather than telling you “check historical archives” which isn’t very descriptive, let me instead describe what’s actually worked for me:

• Find the oldest working barber in town—no kidding, barbers know all. The veteran stylist cutting hair in the city center has given me more leads for my research than any textbook ever has.
• Start with the 1940 Sanborn maps, and we can discuss the newer ones later. The Sanborn maps contain information about buildings and land use that Google Maps just doesn’t.
• Join a Facebook group committed to the heritage of your town; the pictures the members share frequently inadvertently reveal hidden gathering places in the background.
• Court records for property disputes often describe land characteristics and operations that have long been gone. In such complexities, one may seek the help of the county clerks.
• Learn about defunct local businesses – The “Harris Mill company picnic” might have been an annual event at the same spot for 40 years.

Conclusion

Your metal detector is only as good as the research you do. I’ve seen people with $2,000 machines leave with nothing, while others with minimal equipment find gold simply because they took the time to find out where to look. And don’t forget, this pastime goes beyond mere findings; it’s the stories that go with each discovery. That twisted spoon lying on a church picnic grounds makes you connect with people who had picnicked there a century ago. There’s magic in that. What’s your most unusual detecting spot? Drop it in the comments—unless it’s too good to share! I understand if you keep your honey holes secret. I haven’t told you about my best spot either!

If you want to learn more about the best locations to go metal detecting in America, check out my other article: America’s 10 Best Historic Metal Detecting Locations