is it legal to detect in a colroado national forest?

[colorado14ers]

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

 

[Jeep]

Most people will tell you no but it is up to the local forest service.

I have detected them and some I was confined to the camping areas and such, others I was given free
range.

Most people get National Parks confused with National Forests. Check in, be nice and get the name of the Ranger that allows you to detect.

Check in person to the HQ closest to where you want to hunt. Colorado Rangers are pretty cool and you should have no problems as long as you respect the land.


http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/f...e=Rio%20Grande%20National%20Forest-%20Offices

 

[Wild Boulder Bill]

It ils perfectly legal to prospect as long as it has noy been legaly withdrawn from mineral entry, such as a wilderness area. However around abanded buildings it gets tricky as much of colorados areas could technically be archeological sites. I always call Denver and seek their blessing as they are the regional office. They also send you the prospecting laws. I have found the Denver Office to be friendly, truthful and helpful. I have them fax me claim papers all the time to make sure I am not on somebodies claim. I think they charge me .15 cents a page. Its the homegrown personel they hire in their branch offices as receptionists and such I have trouble with. They try to make up there own laws at the receptionists desk. I have yet to run into a forest ranger that was a jerk. I did have one call his home office as he was incorrect in what he was stating, He did. I wave at him every time I see him. He waves back.

 

[RGINN]

Wild Boulder Bill has some good advice. I've never had a problem with the forestry service. I am starting to see some more signs being put up at trailheads about removing 'historic or archeological artifacts'. We've been doing a lot of detectin out east of Leadville (you know the area I'm talkin about), particularly those tailings for gold. Some guys have been doin pretty fair, not me. I've heard the Little Johnny Mine tailings produce a little better and hope to get over there this summer. I spend more time in Half Moon Gulch south of Leadville. Lot of history, legends, stories, and I found a little mystery in there that no amount of my research has solved. Wanna get rich and famous, write a definitive history of Half Moon Gulch. Like J. Frank Dobie said, that's where the real gold is, in writin about it.

 

[Wild Boulder Bill]

LOl RG
So true, so true. And if you write about it you don't have to know anything and it doesn;t have to be true. Also you don't have to break your back hauling a pack and metal detector.

 

[Gold_Striker]

I have heard that the first thing to do is pass the attitude test. All be it hard we must be nice and respectful.

All these people are like us in that they are working their job and living their lives they are not trying to be jerks really just trying to do their job and go home. They even have the authority to give special permission if they want. At the end of the day they are there to preserve the forest and protect the rights of the people who dwell there.

Far as I can tell the law allows us to metal detect in the national forest. Who knows maybe we will make some of these guys discover that geology is really fun after all especially with 1800$ gold

 

[RGINN]

And kind of an update. The place out east of Leadville where we used to detect the tailings and around some of the old mining buildings has sprouted a whole bunch of brand new 'keep out' 'no trespassing' signs. 14er's has been there. No tellin why that came about, but I did respect the signs.

 

[UncleMatt]

It ils perfectly legal to prospect as long as it has noy been legaly withdrawn from mineral entry, such as a wilderness area. However around abanded buildings it gets tricky as much of colorados areas could technically be archeological sites. I always call Denver and seek their blessing as they are the regional office. They also send you the prospecting laws. I have found the Denver Office to be friendly, truthful and helpful. I have them fax me claim papers all the time to make sure I am not on somebodies claim. I think they charge me .15 cents a page. Its the homegrown personel they hire in their branch offices as receptionists and such I have trouble with. They try to make up there own laws at the receptionists desk. I have yet to run into a forest ranger that was a jerk. I did have one call his home office as he was incorrect in what he was stating, He did. I wave at him every time I see him. He waves back.

The Weminuche Wilderness area near Vallecito,CO is where I am going in August. I was up there a few weeks ago doing some preliminary scouting, and asked the rangers I encountered on the trail if metal detecting was allowed. They both thought it was fine, and told me to go ahead as long as I was not using any mechanized means to enage in mining activity. So perhaps not all designated wilderness areas are off limits to metal detecting.

 

[oldnugget]

1st. THE STATE OF Colorado does not have any national forests THEY BELONG TO THE FEDERAL GOVT. METAL DETECTING
IN A NATIONAL FOREST CAN GET YOU SERIOUSLY ARRESTED AND YOUR VEHICLE CONFISCATED PERMANTLY, AND YOU DOING JAIL TIME....

THE NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL ACT (i think its called) MAKES IT A FELONY TO DISTURB OR PICK UP ANY MAN MADE ARTIFACT ON FEDERAL LANDS... WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE PERMIT / PROSPECTING FOR MINERALS IS ALLOWED BY PERMIT / THE POSSESSION OF A METAL DETECTOR ON FEDERAL LAND IS ALSO A FELONY IF ITS DISCOVERED ....

YA BEEN WARNED HOMER....

 

[yellow_metal]

Citation please old nugget. I happen to know this to be false so can you provide crs #?

 

[ikesdad]

I know this is an old post and I also know that the post by oldnugget is wrong.
Could it be that he does not want anyone poking around his "spot" ?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Detecting is allowed in some forests and not on others, it is best to check the forest in question_ there is no one set rule nation wide.

Ikesdad, please post by our rules on language.

 

[Peyton Manning]

I googled detecting on federal land a few days back. I read it as legal unless there is a mining claim. It said detecting and panning were ok, even petrified wood to a certain poundage

 

[Peyton Manning]

although I was looking into the dakotas and not colorado

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Jeff you have to check National Forests.. As example can't detect in national forests in Florida, but I know its legal in many national forests out west.

 

[Wild Boulder Bill]

I should check into these forums more than every couple years, but you got to work your claims sometimes. To me the word prospect means with the intent to file a claim. You can rock collect in wilderness areas but you can not prospect as you can never file a claim.

 

[Golden_Crab]

1st. THE STATE OF Colorado does not have any national forests THEY BELONG TO THE FEDERAL GOVT. METAL DETECTING
IN A NATIONAL FOREST CAN GET YOU SERIOUSLY ARRESTED AND YOUR VEHICLE CONFISCATED PERMANTLY, AND YOU DOING JAIL TIME....

THE NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL ACT (i think its called) MAKES IT A FELONY TO DISTURB OR PICK UP ANY MAN MADE ARTIFACT ON FEDERAL LANDS... WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE PERMIT / PROSPECTING FOR MINERALS IS ALLOWED BY PERMIT / THE POSSESSION OF A METAL DETECTOR ON FEDERAL LAND IS ALSO A FELONY IF ITS DISCOVERED ....

YA BEEN WARNED HOMER....

This person has land in colorado I'm guessing, great example of misinformation with an agenda.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Yes it's fine to detect on nf land. Also blm and wilderness is fine but you can't locate a claim on wilderness land. Just fill your holes and do your thing. Youll never run into forestry most of the time anyway, and it's not illegal in any way.

 

[coloradocav1]

I've been talked to by a ranger once, his only concern was that I was using a shovel not a trowel.