Reststops

[mfitzs70]

I was wondering if anyone detects highway/turnpike reststops or have tried but have been told not to. Seems like alot of taxpayer money used to upkeep them and thought it was worth a shot. I'm located in Ohio. Thanks in advance.

 

[ticm]

I was wondering if anyone detects highway/turnpike reststops or have tried but have been told not to. Seems like alot of taxpayer money used to upkeep them and thought it was worth a shot. I'm located in Ohio. Thanks in advance.

Not unless you want to find pull tabs, clad and trash. The trick is to find the resting places from back say around the thirties. Folks would park maybe have lunch from the Long ride.

 

[spartacus53]

No need for a metal detector, your eyes are all you really need. parking lots are just full of goodies with careless people looking to get back in their cars.

 

[Chips]

Haha Yea I hear that I like the deep gravel parking areas in our "regional parks" and, grassy areas where people park their cars then,, head off to the picnic tables,,,, to eat food and throw pull tabs.
But Spartacus has a good point getting in and out of cars in these areas nets me,, my biggest "spendable" finds
Happy hunting

 

[dholland02]

Be careful ive heard storie bout what goes on at those places, watch where u step and when u pick stuff up.

 

[spartacus53]

nothing but urban legends

 

[Chips]

Yea hope I can run faster than them lol .. Then there is the Leisch lol. Gosh that thing ya pull it out to dig a hole and see people eye brows rise.. I tend to use a 1" chisel if to many "happy campers" are about lol

 

[dholland02]

I cut a logging job behind a rest stop in Pa that got shut down. You shoulda heard the story's the land owner told me that was going on at that rest stop at night.

 

[Chips]

Haha reminds me I must buy some new digging gloves !! So would you detect there during the day, just be careful what ya dig lol !! Oh yea Gloves!!

 

[SpiritRelic]

Just a bunch of lot lizards around.They are not going to try nothing with a bum with a metal detector.Yes some rest stops would be good to detect,i think.No telling what could have been on the land also in the past.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

mfitsz70, who told you "not to"? Were you doing it, and someone stopped and said "no"? Or did you inquire ahead to state offices, and had someone tell you "no"? Please expand a little on that.

 

[austin]

Texas has the new modern rest areas/roadside parks, but there are many that are the original old ones that are there, but not maintained very well. Check and see if Ohio has the same thing. ticm's advice is dead on.

 

[the bone]

I have metal detected rest areas one in particular many times. Often times when the highways were built they strategically placed the original rest areas on land that was already developed and bought from the landowner when the highway went through, the one i have hunted was part of an old farmstead and the well that the rest are used was sunk by the original landowners I have found a few wheats there but have not hunted the areas i really want to hunt (the woods and field behind the rest area) because i only have stopped there on my way back from work and that is late at night when the less desirables are around. apparently a few storage buildings from the original owners were used by the state at this rest area up until the late 70's when they were finally torn down. So in short yes they can be "good" places to hunt historically speaking but just like everything else a little research goes a long way.

 

[mfitzs70]

Well I know how the state protects it's parks so I wondered if they did the same to the state owned reststops. I'll have to do some research to the one's near me and give it a go. We'll see if a statey stops and questions me.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

.... I'll have to do some research to the one's near me and give it a go. We'll see if a statey stops and questions me.

When you do your research, you can probably find your info. on the state's website, where ..... no doubt .... they have the state laws and codes as a subsection you can click on. Do this instead of asking state personell. Because if you ask a live desk-bound person, you might just ge their personal opinion, rather than an actual written rule. Too many times when asking bored desk-clerks, they simply find something to morph to say "no", (don't disturb earthworms, etc...) when no specific rule really exists.

And if you're research says that state parks having some dire sounding verbage (cultural heritage things, etc....), I would not say that those things necessarily apply to rest-stops. Because state PARKS are not the same as state REST STOPS. Simply because land is state-owned, does not make it all one -&-the-same. There can be multiple levels of state land monitoring/usage/design. For example, there's also state road right-of-ways (the eavesement abutting all state-maintained roads, that extends out XX # of yards each direction, way beyond the shoulders). The rest stops are probably more akin to THIS type of state-owned property management rules. And as such, I bet it's totally silent on the issue (says nothing either way about detecting). If so, then ...... well gee, I guess there's no prohibitions then, so long as you're not being a nuisance in some other way. Naturally .... don't "stick out". Go at low traffic times, etc....

 

[shern_0711]

I tried detecting an old rest stop from the 1930's that is still in use. Nothing but pull tabs. But I got to thinking how many people threw their bottles in the woods behind it. So I took a walk back their and sure enough tons of bottles. Coke bottles and some brands I have never even heard of. My wife and I pulled out totes of them. I have moved since and haven't been able to get back their. Just something to think about.

 

[Mzjavert]

I'd forgotten all about detecting a rest stop. I did it once when I first got into the hobby. I found a clad dime near the picnic tables. I can't remember anything else, so I'm assuming it was junk.