MDing in Maryland

jeric2

Full Member
May 29, 2003
171
21
Eastern Shore, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer
Most parks in Maryland do not allow detecting. Then, some allow it, but don't allow digging. If you email them, they will send you the form letter saying it is only allowed in something like 2 parks in the whole state.
Schools on the other hand are usually allowed as long as you do it on weekends or after there are no children there. Even then, you should ask the grounds keepers.
 

iammetalcore

Jr. Member
Aug 3, 2007
25
0
Thats the thing about Maryland, so much history that you cannot touch! I can't tell you how many times I have been run off by people in parks, even though the signs never mentioned metal detectors were not allowed.

Its always good to know people that have land around historical parks.
 

Born2Dtect

Bronze Member
Jun 11, 2004
1,683
68
Hurlock, Maryland
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Excalibur II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
MD state parks are funny. I find the best results when I go to individual counties or towns web sites. Most of the time you want to contact, the Parks or Recreation Dept. head. I usually get a good result. All school property has someone in charge. I contact the schools principles, they usually get approval from the district superintendent. I find that a lot of law enforcement people do not anything about detectind rules or laws. The exception being beach towns. I keep a folder in my vehicle with the email replies as proof of permission.

Ed D.
 

Tracker IV

Tenderfoot
Nov 13, 2007
5
0
I ALSO live in Howard County as just hours ago was told that I cannot use my MD in
the parks! Think you're right - if I had just gone and done it I'd be ok, but everywhere
it says to get permission so I tried. I wrote back asking for the Property Commissioner's
name so I can lobby this because this is just WRONG! Just recently got my MD and
now have nowhere to even try it out. Really didn't think they would say "no". Why don't
we BOTH complain - and anybody else here who lives in Howard County. It might be a
majority rule thing - we can be ignored because there aren't many of us, but lots of
walkers, bikers etc. County parks are the most local ones and figured they would be the
ones for the people and fairly free - but was wrong. PS: It was the Director's office of
Parks and Recs that gave me the no go.
 

Born2Dtect

Bronze Member
Jun 11, 2004
1,683
68
Hurlock, Maryland
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Excalibur II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Believe it or not, Metal detecting may not be a hot topic for the parks director. I have got the Ok at a couple of local county park services. Sometimes if there is not already specific regulations one way or the other the person you ask may just say no to save him/her a little work. Keep after it. I think you may end up with some kind of permission. Good luck.

Ed D.
 

Tracker IV

Tenderfoot
Nov 13, 2007
5
0
Born2Dtect, I hope you're right. The park director's office wrote
me back today asking for my snail mail addy so they can send me
the regs which makes me think there is a specific reg but I'll look
it over and see and go from there.

What counties have you had success at and did you ask the local
park on site manager or the person at the main office?
 

Born2Dtect

Bronze Member
Jun 11, 2004
1,683
68
Hurlock, Maryland
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Excalibur II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Believe it or not I contacted the County parks head by email. Addresses were on county web pages. Got replies from all. Same with a few city parks. I cannot take time off for work so I always try email when I can get an email address.

Did a search and found this link http://www.co.ho.md.us/RAP/RAPDocs/ParkRules.pdf

Section 19.205.permits section (12). Looks to me, all is required is a permit. The county also seems to give a lot of power to the Rec & Parks Director. I would try to get on his good side.

Ed D.
 

jonesat

Greenie
Nov 3, 2006
18
0
I've tried for permission out here in frederick county,...both city , county and state,..., even emailed the county commissioners,...no luck. What makes it annoying is that some spots don't have regulations ruleing it out,...but if you ask,...you get a quick "NO"!

But on the good side,... if Maryland ever decided to officially let you metal detect anywhere on municpal property, you could bet they'd attach a huge licencing fee, and then a tax it prohibitively,.....so non recognition is probably best.
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
Hi all, the topic caught my attention on the most recent post of the states. Enjoyed reading this. Several of you have surmised that ... if you had just gone, probably no one would have paid you any mind. It's only when you ask, that images of geeks with shovels come up, so the easy answer is "no".

I look at it this way: the minute we think we need to ask, we've already lost the battle. I mean, since when are you, or metal detecting, so inherently evil, that you had to ask, to begin with? I would no more ask to metal detect, than I would to use the park bench, basketball hoops, etc... Naturally, this would be for innocuous non-historic monuments. If someone has a problem, they're welcome to tell you.

If you still have a skittishness, then look it up in the books YOURSELF. Don't ask some desk-bound bureaucrat, because he can just pull anything out of hat he thinks applies (like "don't disturb the vegetation", etc...). If you find, from your own looking into the codes, that detecting isn't specifically prohibited, then it would stand to reason you can do it. Like, if you're driving, and come to an intersection that doesn't have any signs prohibiting a U-turn, then one assumes he can make a U-turn, right? Why all the paranoia? I don't get it ???

Sometimes no one really cares till you ask. And then guess what happens when that bureaucrat you asked, sees another md'r, that he would previously have never paid attention to? He'll remember the earlier person's inquiry, and start booting people! I've seen this happen.

I've detected parks and schools all around my part of CA, for the past 30 yrs. and never asked anyone. I've rarely had a problem. But for all those SAME parks and schools, you can bet I'd have gotten a lot of "no's", from people who probably really couldn't have cared less (till I asked)
 

jonesat

Greenie
Nov 3, 2006
18
0
West2md,...I have some places I kick around,...Some public, but not heavilly tracficked. I generally walk along some of the streams and rivers (Monocacy, Catoctin, Tuscarora). There are a couple of old foundations back in the Catoctin Forest that I hit every once in a while.
Can you beleive I've been told that I can't even hit the wood chips at the local playgrounds? (really want to try the "tire park" up near Camp David).... Thats what you get for asking.
 

west2md

Newbie
Nov 17, 2007
2
0
jonesat
If you are ever looking for someone to hunt with feel free to contact me any time. I am some what of a beginner but love to go detecting. I am in Myersville. Close to Wolfsville and the Catoctin Mountains. Let me know.
 

Dual Hunter

Jr. Member
Jan 18, 2009
52
34
Middle River MD.
Detector(s) used
Minelab ctx 3030. Xp deus.
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
i agree ,i kind of took a break detecting for a few years ,but when i got into it again and got internet and computer friendly i found many of the places i originally hunted previously like Gunpowder State Park,Loch Raven,and various other places ,i wasn't suppose to be there. so my rule for permission now is to ask on private lands only. Many places of interest such as these are dense with woods and you may never cross paths with another person all day.
i am a little irritated with this stance that Maryland has with all this Archeological protection crap,if no one unearths these relics and coins, who is to know of there existence unless people like us find them,if these are left in the ground they will decay eventually to nothing but dirt . i can understand not wanting parks to look like war zones with holes all over the place,but i believe everyone does there best to make it look like before they were there.many of my places i intend on going in these parks are in the middle of the woods i can believe they worry about open holes in the woods.
Dual Hunter
 

47thelement

Bronze Member
Jan 8, 2009
1,741
161
Detector(s) used
E-trac, Excal, ACE 250 for my son
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know there are lot of ares that are off limits around here. Myself I'm in AA county and I'm not having much luch either but, I've got some ideas about private land and I'm going to keep trying. We have to keep it up.
 

47thelement

Bronze Member
Jan 8, 2009
1,741
161
Detector(s) used
E-trac, Excal, ACE 250 for my son
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
ok guys take a look at the thread about Druid Hill park. I think you will find some helpful info about permits and a hunt that is being put together.
 

mineralized_miner

Full Member
Dec 2, 2013
133
46
Maryland
Detector(s) used
Coinmaster GT
Fisher F2
Bounty Hunter Discovery 1100
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I live in Howard county, am 14 years old, and routinely go hunting in the parks of howard county. I think that as long as you don't dig in the dirt and stick to playgrounds and volleyball courts, you should be fine. I often go on the turf, and a police officer asked me if I found anything nice, and I showed him my wheatie and clad stuff. I also showed him the trash I had collected, and he seemed to be fine with me detecting. He mentioned something about wanting to get one for his son, and I showed him that they really do work.

Probably because I am a kid, people have never bothered me. However, If I was an adult, I'd be hassled like the rest of you all. I know this thread is old, but it has gone for too long where I have to worry about getting in trouble for using the parks. I don't leave holes either. I cover them up, and people cannot even find where I dig!!!
 

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
2,284
Granite, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I was stopped by a park ranger today in a HOCO park. He told me that I need to call the dept. of recreation & parks to obtain a permit.

Thankfully, he was pretty cool about it. He did ask me if I had found anything good and I told him I had found mostly trash and just a few clad coins which he let me keep.
I'll call and see what happens though. If I can actually get a permit (which I'm very skeptical about frankly) I have a few other HOCO parks in mind that I would like to hunt.
I know to get one for state parks is almost impossible. Only certified archeologists are allowed to use metal detectors during state sanctioned digs (which almost never happens).
Most of the treasure in the state parks will never be found. It will just rot away and be lost to history forever.

I dunno' about everyone else but I'm getting pretty fed up with government in general and all of the insane over regulation that's in place at this point. It never used to be this way. Now almost everything is either illegal or requires a license or permit. Plus, it's just fine for people to trash the parks on a regular basis but God forbid you dig some of it up and dispose of it properly as a result of metal detecting.

20 years ago when we still had a free country you would never even be approached by anyone. I've read that at this point in time, the average American unwittingly commits three felonies a day on average as a result of the insane level of laws, rules and regulations. That means that anyone can get into trouble and if they wanna' get you for some reason, they can and will.
That's what they call "freedom" nowadays.
 

Last edited:

jsbelljr83

Greenie
Dec 12, 2015
12
5
Pasadena, MD
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Time Ranger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm in AA Co, I live behind Northeast High and Tick Neck Park. I'm more worried about someone calling the cops thinking I'm carrying a long gun than anything else.
 

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