Places for Metal Detecting?

Submitted by ScottishCalvin t3_11b8pqo in philadelphia

My kid went and bought a metal detector for when we went to Virginia. It's great down there, you have an actual (tiny) chance of finding old coins or civil war bullets etc if you're on a river trail.

But where is somewhere up here we could walk about and maybe have a not-zero chance of finding stuff? Most vaguely historical land bans you from bringing a shovel. I don't mind driving 30 minutes out of town if it's near a brewery or museum or something else we could go to afterwards.

(I'm deeply aware that buying lottery tickets would have made as much sense as spending $80 on a metal detector, but it's a fun hobby/dream for kids)

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Brraaap t1_j9wnat8 wrote

Definitely Wissahickon Park, there used to be a lot of inns, taverns, and mills along the creek

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dovate t1_j9x2shn wrote

I grew up on the same block as the PSD campus in Germantown. Formative memory was a metal detector dude in the field one day. He found revolutionary era musket balls, 19th century coins, and other random things. A neighbor found a Battle of Germantown cemetery back there too. Not really public land, but when I was a kid, the guards were criminals. Things may be different now..

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SgtKetchup t1_j9x34nx wrote

I'm not sure if the trails across the river from Valley Forge ban you from bringing a shovel, but apparently there was a Union camp over on that side for a while. I'd think the trails between the river and the SRT would be the winner.

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Your_Typical_C_Stude t1_j9ya5fe wrote

We were detecting along the Delaware during low tide under the Betsy Ross bridge in the 90's (when you could just walk back there).

Two dogs came out of nowhere and blocked our exit along the beach (you have to jump down to get to the beach).

They stood above us growling. We had plenty of rocks if we needed them but we just waited for them to leave.

A lot of people walked their dogs back there without a leash so I knew it would be just a matter of time before the dogs would scare and leave.

I guess just be careful for two and four legged danger wherever you go.

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abortionleftovers t1_j9zoekp wrote

I love this post. I don’t know where any treasure is but I hope you find some

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Little_Noodles t1_ja0gd87 wrote

It’s a bit of a haul and you’ll want to wait for slightly better weather, but beaches are good spots.

Lots of beachgoers coins, sometimes jewelry. If you go to beaches that get sand dredged in, sometimes shipwreck and lost at sea bits (I did this as a kid with my dad and we found a big metal antique plate once).

Plus, the digging is easy.

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Conalou2 t1_ja18vqz wrote

My dad used to go to lots of different places in the Wissahickon. He found a LOT of neat things and learned a lot of local history along the way.

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