Where do you hunt in Colorado?

[MD]

I find it hard to find good places to hunt in Colorado.

In the East there are hundreds of years of artifacts in the ground. In Europe there are centuries of artifacts. Colorado hasn't been occupied nearly as long. Coins from the silver era seem much rarer here.

On the coasts they have beaches. Usually you have to pay to get on the few little man made beaches.

I've tried nugget hunting near Hahns Peak, but didn't have any luck.

Aside from public parks or getting permission to hunt private property has anyone found any good spots in Colorado, especially along the front range?

 

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[RGINN]

Hey MD. I'm over here in Frisco and I just go out into the national forests and detect. I don't disturb or destroy any historic structures, and I have the best luck detecting sites where homeless people have camped out, or tourists have been tramping around in the woods. I haven't run into the law yet, but if I do, I figure I will tell them I am prospecting for minerals, which as far as I know is legal in the nation forest. Other than that, find a metal detecting club and join up. There's strength in numbers and they might have connections.

 

[Seajay]

MD,

Here is an Easterner's perspective. Colorado/the West: hastily buried outlaw loot, stage coach robberies, Indian masacres, lost caves of gold, Santa Fe trail caches, trappers and fur traders rendezvous points, ghost towns, etc. to name a few. I lived in La Junta for a couple of years as teenager and never knew the history of that area (Bent's Old Fort, Santa Fe Trail). Now as an adult I think to myself, "Man, I wish I was out West!"
My wife is from Colorado and periodically we make the pilgrimage that way. Of course, the detectors are packed along with everything else! Get your hands on some of Caroline Bancroft's books and they will stimulate your imagination and get the blood pumping. The may be grass on the other side of the fence, but it is not always greener!

Seajay

 

[lastleg]

Research the long gone mining sites of Colorado and if you have a
4 wheel drive vehicle start the hunt at the most remote area you
can find that had a significant population in the late 1800's. Be
careful w/F. S. regs. This is truly one of the most exciting areas
to detect. Cannot be specific the way the world is now but I almost
guarantee you will find super artifacts that are rusting away awaiting
TLC. good luck, lastleg

 

[MD]

Thanks for the replies. I am doing more research. I have a new idea. I'm going to try some of the waterways that near or through the city.

 

[Robby Comstock]

MD

What part of Colorado are you in?

 

[MD]

I'm in the Greeley area

 

[BuffaloBob]

Thanks for the replies. I am doing more research. I have a new idea. I'm going to try some of the waterways that near or through the city.

Good idea. There have been some pretty horrific floods here at times that should make it interesting. My last river search was along the Platte and 18th st. Was well used in the past but now populated by condominiums. Nice park though. HH

 

[Vudu12]

I took my very first trip out on Saturday eve to the Cherry Creek reservoir beach.
At least I know my detector works, dug tons of pull-tabs, foil, and wire/nails. And one 1984 nickel. It was brown so probably been in the sand for a while.
Sand is easy to dig and cover so it was good for learning, but I was hoping for a little something for the beach clean-up community service. Oh well, next time.

I have considered walking in the Highline canal, it is empty most of the year with a sandy bottom, but looking at a pile of dirt dug up for some construction it's probably not hiding much. People do walk their dogs down there instead of using the footpath.

 

[Elkastro]

it's funny you mention detecting the highline canal i have found quite alot of clad coins jewlery in the empty canal in fact i detected and old car buried two feet under the sand,i think it was a model t- ford LOL, I was dumbfounded how it got there? i know the canal was built back in the 1890's. i'm taking my new x-terra 70 down there again do some more hunting i could stay busy all summer just hunting the canal along the path and down in the sandy creek. easy to dig in the sand!

 

[Pentico]

Cherry Creek reservoir beach is the most hunted spot out around the 9 mile area.
Plus they have some crazy rules on finds. Rangers are cool but want to see every thing you find.
And I never have had much luck there. Plus in the summer if your not out there at day break some one has beat you to it. lol
I think you guys are on the right track with highline canal.
Never been there myself but make perfect sense.

Check the ghost towns out.
Stay out of Douglas county though, very strict laws.
Again I am new to this but with a little research you can find some great finds out there.
Good luck,

DN

 

[Vudu12]

Tried the Highline Canal on the weekend near the Fairmont cemetary, just got vintage beer and pop cans down to 12+ inches, and rust masses. Also saw a white and black chicken with their heads cut off, kinda unsettled me

 

[Elkastro]

i hunted fairmount along the highline canal back in 1997 under that bridge right off parker road i found a gold bracelet and further down the canal by the cemetary i thought i found a silver nugget in the sand but after further investigation it turned out to be fillings with broken bits of teeth mixed in. they must have thrown it in canal from the creamatorium. talk about creepy!

 

[RGINN]

Once again, here's a good tip if you all want to pursue it. Right now watch to see where they pile up the snow they push up off the parking lots or the city clears from the sidewalks and streets. When summer gets here and that all melts down, you will have about 45 minutes one July afternoon to get in there and scope it out. (Summer's short here) You won't find anything real old (probably) but you will find a lot of change and miscellanous jewelry, car keys, etc. And the more plehbah posts, the more sense he makes to me. Later ya'll.

 

[Wild Boulder Bill]

For Petes Sake Man your're in Colorado. Thats like saying you can't find salt water in the middle of the ocean.

 

[Leones Corazon]

Western colorado. Debeque canyon to the state line of utah is my playground....

DW

 

[tapoutking]

Ill be visiting my parent in LaVeta from July 2nd thru the 11th. I found an old cabin last year and an old wagon trail I will be hunting.

 

[coloradocav]

I find it hard to find good places to hunt in Colorado.

In the East there are hundreds of years of artifacts in the ground. In Europe there are centuries of artifacts. Colorado hasn't been occupied nearly as long. Coins from the silver era seem much rarer here.

On the coasts they have beaches. Usually you have to pay to get on the few little man made beaches.

I've tried nugget hunting near Hahns Peak, but didn't have any luck.

Aside from public parks or getting permission to hunt private property has anyone found any good spots in Colorado, especially along the front range?

I consistently find coins and artifacts from the 1800's. gotta keep your mind off of junk clad in playgrounds and fake treasure stories. read read read! Last friday got a beautiful 1886 silver dollar. Anybody in their right mind is not just going to hand over any maps to the spots, I work hard on my research and it is always well worth the effort.I'd rather spend hours researching a site, even if all I got was another seated liberty dime, to me it's better than a can full of new junk pennies.

 

[lastleg]

Coloradocav:

You must be doing everything right to come up with finds like
that. Congrats especially on the gold dollar!

 

[sodapoptop]

As far as "really nothing left to find in Colorado" That is great news for me, because that means more for me to find. I will not go near a school or tot lot, just my opinion but these are 99.9% zinc filled with CRAP. I do research daily...the internet is a wonderful tool. In the past 12 months I have found enough to pay 2/3 of my detector. As far as I am concerned, it is only getting better as I have found 5 times as many indian heads this year as last already, and twice the silver. My biggest fear was cold-call knocking on doors (fear of rejection) Once I got over that, finding oldies was ALOT easier!

Happy Hunting to all!