is it legal to detect in a Colorado national forest???

colorado14ers · Mar 5, 2011

I want to detect a abandoned ski area (geneva basin) this summer but its on national forest land. Is it legal to detect there

?

Woodland Detectors · Mar 5, 2011

Colorado .... Yes With permission from the park manager. :icon_thumleft:

Daedalus · Mar 5, 2011

This is good to know as I did not . Will have to keep this in my list of where we can and can not detect .

colorado14ers · Mar 6, 2011

Woodland Detectors said:
Colorado .... Yes With permission from the park manager.

cool, thanks! :notworthy:

ivan salis · Mar 6, 2011

odd national forest that is metal detectible? (fed land) like national parks and such are normally off limits to detecting -- if it is really open for detecting great.( be very sure first)

Tom_in_CA · Mar 6, 2011

Woodland Detectors is erroneously quoting from the FMDAC's state-by-state list of state-land rules. What he cites ("yes with permission") is on that list, for Colorado. But the mistake is, this question was about federal land in Colorado, not state land in Colorado.

Probably the answer for fed land, in any state, is wrapped up in ARPA (yes, till you find 50 or 100+ yr. old stuff, etc.....). So ........ you're only looking for new stuff, right? ::)

And seriously now, how remote is this old ski lift anyhow? Right in front of busybodies who would care? or way out in the middle of nowhere?

colorado14ers · Mar 6, 2011

Tom_in_CA said:
Woodland Detectors is erroneously quoting from the FMDAC's state-by-state list of state-land rules. What he cites ("yes with permission") is on that list, for Colorado. But the mistake is, this question was about federal land in Colorado, not state land in Colorado.

Probably the answer for fed land, in any state, is wrapped up in ARPA (yes, till you find 50 or 100+ yr. old stuff, etc.....). So ........ you're only looking for new stuff, right? And seriously now, how remote is this old ski lift anyhow? Right in front of busybodies who would care? or way out in the middle of nowhere?

well, it opened in 1963 and closed in the 1990s so yes, fairly new stuff. It is about 8 miles back in a valley(maybe that's why it closed?) were not many people go.

ivan salis · Mar 6, 2011

key word --NATIONAL * means its federal land --normally speaking to the best of my knowledge ALL FEDERAL LAND IS OFF LIMITS TO HOBBY TYPE METAL DETECTING -- "natural" gold hunting might be allowed * but "hobby metal detecting" is normally not -(except to find personally lost items -- and one must get the park rangers ok first) -- federal land is often highly restricted as far as metal detecting goes and actifact collecting due to ARPA --forget about it --by the 50 year old law rule anything past 1961 is a "artifact"

SO ENJOY YOUR "GOLD PROSPECTING " TRIP :wink:

there is always a "loop hole"

colorado14ers · Mar 6, 2011

its in the Pike National Forest and looking into it, it said that metal detecting is allowed because its a recreational sport. i would still like to ask a ranger or send them an email confirming this.

ivan salis · Mar 6, 2011

did a bit more checking --seems that its ok BUT ONLY IF * #1 the area is a declared "open" area where it is allowed --OR -- #2 if one obtains a "form" from the district park ranger * allowing it

THAT AREA MIGHT HAVE BEEN DECLARED A "OPEN" AREA --if so great !!!

RON (PA) · Mar 6, 2011

I would be very sure and get everything in writing. They (the feds) can take everything, including your car. Detecting on National Forest land is a hornet's nest of trouble. I have always been advised to stay clear of National parks, forests, etc.

New stuff will probably be a majority of the finds which should be okay, but what happens when you detector beeps and you did up something old of archeological significance. Then you are in a pickle and have opened up a Pandora's box of legal issues.

Just my two cents worth.

Tom_in_CA · Mar 7, 2011

I was detecting once, in Stanislaus national forest, here in CA, where some 1930's campgrounds had been. A passing fed. ranger truck stopped me, and told me "you can't be doing that". But after some casual conversation, he changed his tune and said "well, if you find anything over 50 yrs. old, you have to turn it in". Then he left, and I never saw him again. And my math never was too good anyhow after that :icon_scratch:

As far as "asking *just* to make sure", the problem with this is going to be, just like anywhere else (city parks, etc...) where no one may actually care, and there may be actual allowances for it, nor prohibitions against it: The minute you "ask", you open the possibility that they can morph something to apply to you (ie.: "don't disturb the earthworms") and you get a "no", where ...... quite frankly, no one might ever have cared or even noticed you (till you made yourself a big target). So why don't you just go there to look for that boyscout ring your dad lost there back in the 1960s, when he was a boy? :dontknow:

NHBandit · Mar 7, 2011

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this question so I'll ask... Please don't take offense. If this ski area opened in 1963 the chances of finding any silver coins is almost zero. It was only open a few years as well. So why bother to go through alot of hassle trying to get permission ? If you're one of those guys who is into spending a day finding clad go to a tot lot. You're not going to find anything old at all unless there was some activity there before the ski area was built. Granted you might get lucky and find a ring or 2 but I still don't think it's worth the bother. Just my opinion.

2bits · Mar 8, 2011

Guys please don't confuse our National Forests with National Parks. They are two completely different entities. I worked many years for the USFS, I have never been bothered by any USFS employees regarding my metal detecting on National Forest lands. I know there are area's of some National Forest's where Ranger badges weigh heavy and they act like it's their land you are trespassing on. Most of that occurs in high traffic area's where there are plenty of attractions.
Now BLM land I stay clear of. Their policies (in my opinion) stink for the most part. And in most National Parks you will go to jail mding there. But personally I would have no problems detecting an old ski resort on Forest Service land. It's been many years now since I left the Forest Service, rules have become more restrictive in many area's. Here in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, I've never been bothered by anyone for metal detecting. Tribal lands are a different matter. Never detect there without permission. I know there are a lot of war stories out there but common sense goes a long ways.
Get to know the locals in the area you are interested in, know the laws, make casual inqueries. If you go asking for permission where permission is not required you may be inviting problems.
Happy hunting, RCW

Tom_in_CA · Mar 8, 2011

RCW, thanx for your input. Since you were a former USFS employee, can we disect your statements please:

You say: "I have never been bothered by any USFS employees regarding my metal detecting on National Forest lands"

And then you go on to say: "If you go asking for permission where permission is not required you may be inviting problems"

So it sounds like when you say " .... you've never had problems detecting NFS lands..." in-lieu of your second statement, that you acknowledge that if you had asked high enough up the chain of command, with enough "buzz words" and "leading mental images", that you might have .... in fact ..... gotten a "no". Ie.: the old addage of "no one caring ... UNTIL you ask" type thing.

I have seen the same self-fulfilling psychology on a city level: There can be parks, that have been detected since the dawn of time. No one ever cared. It never occured to any of the old-timers that you needed to "ask", to begin with, since .... it had always just been the place to hunt, and no one ever cared. But then lo & behold, some newbie takes it upon himself to waltz into city hall and "ask if it's ok", and ..... you can guess what happens. Some desk-bound clerk, to whom this probably never occured to her before, looks long and hard for something to morph to your pressing question.

2bits · Mar 8, 2011

Yes Tom, you hit the nail on the head!
HH, RCW

ivan salis · Mar 8, 2011

DO NOT MAKE THE DESK BOUND RULE "MONKEYS" THINK --BY ASKING THEM IS IT "OK" -- it makes them think they have the "right and power" to say no thus denying you the right to detect your own city parks -- do not spur them into thinking --let sleeping rule monkeys sleep *** -- if they "think" they have such powers they will want to use them *because thats the typical desk bound "rule " monkey way of thinking -- if you got the power use it --make stupid rules for folks to follow to jusify your job's existance and show how needed and "important" you are.

Nugget Hunter Smith · Mar 10, 2011

In the Department of Agriculture (United States Forest Service) there are 4 types of metal detecting allowed. 2 require permits (historical/archaeological sites and treasure troves) and 2 that do not (hunting for objects that do not qualify under the Antiquities Act (object MUST be minimum of 50 years old and MUST be of historical or achaeological SIGNIFICANT) and prospecting for minerals/metals. According to FEDERAL LAW those areas that are protected MUST be posted.

There is a lot of misinformation and lies being told by government employees and civilians so do your research. Print the "law" out and carry it with you because if not they will probably make something up or "Just following orders like a good little nazi" because the boss told them so.

So yes unless it is posted and is National Forest Land (USFS), I say go for it. As there is no historical information to gain if they allowed a ski company to operate there.