Are summer camps a good spot to go metal detecting?

[pio_dov]

My camp's been in use as a sleepaway camp since '48, but before that it was a train station and a spring house. While staying the past two summers, I found a few metal hair beads, a belt buckle, and a really old spoon in one of the cabin villages. With those things combined, I feel like it would be a nice place to take a detector. Has anyone ever found anything interesting or noteworthy at a summer camp? Or would it just be a waste of time? Thank you in advance!

 

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[srcdco]

My camp's been in use as a sleepaway camp since '48, but before that it was a train station and a spring house. While staying the past two summers, I found a few metal hair beads, a belt buckle, and a really old spoon in one of the cabin villages. With those things combined, I feel like it would be a nice place to take a detector. Has anyone ever found anything interesting or noteworthy at a summer camp? Or would it just be a waste of time? Thank you in advance!

Camps are a great place to detect, particularly if they are older. Don't be surprised to find that someone has already been there. I was lucky to be the only person to detect a Scout camp in my area that opened in 1939 and I've found about $50 face value in silver coins alone, plus all the clad, pennies, nickels, and other items.

Scott

 

[Mackaydon]

Yes, as Scott just mentioned, Scout camps, especially those that were in operation since before 1950, have always given good results (upper Wisconsin area for my hunting).
Don in SoCal

 

[Bucket Lister]

My camp's been in use as a sleepaway camp since '48, but before that it was a train station and a spring house. While staying the past two summers, I found a few metal hair beads, a belt buckle, and a really old spoon in one of the cabin villages. With those things combined, I feel like it would be a nice place to take a detector. Has anyone ever found anything interesting or noteworthy at a summer camp? Or would it just be a waste of time? Thank you in advance!

In my limited experience, just about anyplace can be either good or bad, depending on your interests (what kinds of things you hunt for), aspirations & expectations.

I'm actually more intrigued by the train station & spring house aspects. I'd love to detect that camp!

Good Hunting!

 

[pio_dov]

Thank you! It's a Y camp rather than a scouting place, but that won't make too much of a difference I imagine.
As for what I'm looking for? Pretty much anything cool and detectable. Jewelry, tools, coins, whatever the heck people brought to spring houses in the 1800s, you name it.
I also forgot to mention this earlier, but there's an entire abandoned resort under the camp too. Most famous part is a burnt down mansion because it's the only one with intact ruins. Here's hoping the camp gives me permission to go (if I do, I promise I'll post any finds here!)

 

[TreaShore]

Don't forget to check any swimming areas if the camp has them. That has always been the spots with the biggest rewards in my experience.

 

[Bucket Lister]

Has anyone ever found anything interesting or noteworthy at a summer camp? Or would it just be a waste of time?

Thank you! It's a Y camp rather than a scouting place, but that won't make too much of a difference I imagine.
As for what I'm looking for? Pretty much anything cool and detectable. Jewelry, tools, coins, whatever the heck people brought to spring houses in the 1800s, you name it.
I also forgot to mention this earlier, but there's an entire abandoned resort under the camp too. Most famous part is a burnt down mansion because it's the only one with intact ruins. Here's hoping the camp gives me permission to go (if I do, I promise I'll post any finds here!)

And you still need to ask ‽ 🤣

Dude. Get out there and put your coil to the soil! (Once you get permission 😉)

 

[pio_dov]

Don't forget to check any swimming areas if the camp has them. That has always been the spots with the biggest rewards in my experience.

It has a swimming pool rather than a lake. The lake they rent over the summer for sailing sounds like a JACKPOT (it has a flooded town beneath it), but I'm allergic to the algae.

 

[TreaShore]

It has a swimming pool rather than a lake. The lake they rent over the summer for sailing sounds like a JACKPOT (it has a flooded town beneath it), but I'm allergic to the algae.

If there is dirt or grass around the pool then that is a good spot to due to people sun bathing. A friend of mine would detect abandoned swimming pools and would find silver coins just beyond the concrete sides. Think of it as you would a sidewalk. A coin hits and rolls of into the grass.

Same logic applies to the lake. Sun bathers and people beating the heat by hanging out under trees along the water's edge. To get into the water they had to walk over that ground, am I right? I detected along a small swimming pond once.

Once, I found a small coin spill under a shady tree. In one hole, about 4 inches down, were 5 wheaties and 2 war nickels. Just thinking that someone probably put their coins down before jumping in only to leave them all behind is a cool thought. That find isn't much on its own, but I consider that an awesome day. More important was the memory. If you have the ability and permission then hit those spots.

 

[Gare]

"

Are summer camps a good spot to go metal detecting? "​

This depends on what you wish to find ?
jewelry yes
modern coins yes
Old coins and buttons No (not very likely )

 

[treasureguy56]

Organizational camps , scout camps ( boy scout and girl scout ) have a lot to offer . In my early years of metal detecting I did alot of metal detecting these types of sites and had the time of my life . Like others have said , I made more silver half dollar finds then any other place . A lot of mercs and barber coinage along with tons of wheat pennies and scouting relics . Take advantage of these sites when you find them .
Good luck to you and let us know how you do .....
Al

 

[treasureguy56]

One more thing , all of the camps I've hunted originally started any where from the teens to 1930's . There was " PLENTY " of coinage from those eras . Not just new coins !
If you pick a 1980's camp of course you will find newer items , but look for the one's that have some age , then you will be rewarded with the older stuff .
Al

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

My camp's been in use as a sleepaway camp since '48, but before that it was a train station and a spring house. While staying the past two summers, I found a few metal hair beads, a belt buckle, and a really old spoon in one of the cabin villages. With those things combined, I feel like it would be a nice place to take a detector. Has anyone ever found anything interesting or noteworthy at a summer camp? Or would it just be a waste of time? Thank you in advance!

Yes, I would absolutely go hit that place. I really can't think of any place that's necessarily bad for Detecting. I found some crazy stuff in places that didn't look worth my time. Or I had no idea that would hold anything.

Opposite is also true. Some places that I thought I was going to kill it or absolutely target free.

You just NEVER know...

 

[ArfieBoy]

I had permission to detect a Christian summer camp for several years whose history went back to the 1880's for various uses over the years. I found a lot of silver coins, jewelry a couple of gold rings and lots of modern coins. It was a bonanza for me over those years and I always found some great coins. It definitely paid off for me. I also hunted migrant worked camps and found knives, many coins and a couple of rings.

Get out there with permission and detect those grounds!