Metal Detecting in San Francisco Bay Area?

[ndamusr]

I've been metal detecting for almost 2 months now. I started with a used Tracker IV,but, I bought a Garrett AT Pro last week. I've seen that most metal detectorists are in the East Coast. And I cannot find good locations where I might find valuable targets. I see folks in the East detecting in civil war era houses or properties. But, here where I live in San Leandro (across from San Francisco) it's suburbia. Am I stuck with parks only?

 

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[1Beachnut]

Any where there were lots of people, especially prior 1965 would be a great place to detect, (if legal). Coins went to clad after 64 so finding a pre 65-64 coin is way more valuable than face value. Finding any Rings or jewelry is your best target. Try old parks, schools, playgrounds, fairgrounds, empty houses, ranches, etc. etc.. Take a trip to any lake or beach where they swim, sunbathe, camp, or play and you might get lucky. Anytime you find something old, you are the first to touch it since it was lost, connecting you to the person who lost it. It can be real fun to think of who lost it, when, why, and even of the times they lived in when it was lost. For us, a quarter is nothing valuable now days, but back pre 65 a quarter would buy you a lot. Consider detecting old homesteads, even near missions, adventures can be found everywhere! I detect the beach's mainly, but also detect in an old gold mining district and find some fantastic artifacts. That old cast iron wood stove part is "junk", but amazing to realize how hard it was back in the 1800's to even get that wood burning stove back into that far out back country, and how many years did it keep someone warm? Just to be found by me, and now have it reside in my front yard as a memory of someones toil, trial, and effort, now my "treasure". Its not so much the FIND, but more the HUNT as that hunting gets you outside, into a new adventure, new horizons, new treasures, even new memories. So,, all you find are some square nails, and lead bullet slugs... Take a close look, square nails were HAND MADE, some of those bullet slugs are over 100 years old, and can be identified by the concave bottom, or the rings on the sides. I have even found black powder balls in the gold country! Who KNOWS what they were shooting at? Indians? Bears? snakes? Each other Just amazing what you can find, if you look!

Happy Hunting

 

[cudamark]

Get a pre-60's map of your area so you can see where the old neighborhoods are.

 

[ndamusr]

Thank you both for that great information.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

ndamusr, welcome aboard. I'm about 1.5 hrs. south of you, but often come up to the bay area to detect with buddies from up there. There's this club not far from you, which I highly recommend: Mt. Diablo Detectors' Club

Other than the usual turfed parks, there are: beaches, old-town demolition sites, and ...... yes ..... you can drive out to the country, and research where old camps used to be, stage stops, ruins, etc....

Now, of course, for that information, you'll have to abide by the forum rules. They are quite simple: you now must send me 50% of all your finds (you pay postage). Welcome aboard !

 

[Anesiba]

New to Detecting

I've been metal detecting for almost 2 months now. I started with a used Tracker IV,but, I bought a Garrett AT Pro last week. I've seen that most metal detectorists are in the East Coast. And I cannot find good locations where I might find valuable targets. I see folks in the East detecting in civil war era houses or properties. But, here where I live in San Leandro (across from San Francisco) it's suburbia. Am I stuck with parks only?

Hey ndamusr I see you posted back in 2012 but I am wondering if you have kept up with the hobby or if you found a club? Hope to hear back from you!

 

[azdirtdigger]

Hunted Golden Gate Park several years ago. Had a good time with a local detector. He found a large silver "Tiffany's" ring.

 

[kenstein]

Hey ndamusr I see you posted back in 2012 but I am wondering if you have kept up with the hobby or if you found a club? Hope to hear back from you!

Welcome to Tnet. It looks like the original poster (ndamusr) may not have remained active past that first month.

 

[cudamark]

Yup, his last post was 3 days after he joined.