WhereToDetect
Land colors: parcels, DNR, WMA

Works over aerial, satellite, streets or topo. WI parcels: zoom 14+. WI DNR / MN WMA: zoom 12+.

WI parcel classes / DNR; MN WMA. Zoom in for boundaries. Uncolored land is unknown, not private. Colors do not grant access or detecting permission. MFL/FCL polygons may include unenrolled portions. Verify forest access.

Places to explore
Terrain and land records
Other hobby layers
Looking for old maps here…
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Permission asks

Your pipeline from “found a spot” to “got a yes.” Tap a private spot on the map and the owner comes straight from free state parcel records where available (county assessor elsewhere) - then track every ask here.

My finds

Every dig, logged with GPS. Photos stay on your device.

Tools, settings & backup

Your info fills the permission letters automatically.

Map tools
Choose a base map or historical year with Maps at the bottom left. Use Layers at the top right for places, terrain and land records. Tap a location to check land, save an ask, log a find, or get directions.
Map data & offline use
Town search, WI/MN lake names and downloaded fishing locations work on-device. Viewed USGS/BLM tiles are saved in a limited cache. Unvisited areas, live records, LiDAR and historical imagery still need a connection. Optional Streets and Esri imagery are online services, not offline downloads.
Sources, licenses & coverage
My info (for letters)
Backup
Finds, asks and settings live only on this device. Export a backup before clearing your browser.
Field reference
Target-ID numbers for popular detectors and US coin specs (weight, size, silver years) - for the "what did I just dig?" moment. Works offline.
Walk history
Walks you track are saved on this device. Show them from the layers menu (My walk history) to see ground you've already covered.
Privacy & terms
No accounts, no analytics, no tracking. Your finds, photos, asks and walks are saved only on this device and are never sent to us. Read the privacy policy & terms →
State guides
Browse all 50 state guides for land-manager references and permission guidance. Confirm current rules with the owner or managing agency before you dig.
About
WhereToDetect is built on free & open data: 185,319 old-settlement sites (USGS GNIS, public domain) · federal land boundaries (BLM SMA) · historical USGS topo maps 1880s-2006 · historical aerials (271 free state/county imagery programs, 1,311 flight years, 37 states; incl. UW-Madison WHAIFinder) · default aerial basemap (USDA/USGS The National Map Orthoimagery, public domain) · LiDAR hillshade (USGS 3DEP) · optional sharper satellite basemap (Esri World Imagery: Esri, Vantor, Earthstar Geographics) · streets (© OpenStreetMap contributors) · topo basemap (USGS) · town search & nearby place names (US Census Gazetteer, on-device) · WI/MN lake names and search (USGS GNIS, public domain, on-device) · town history (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA) · old newspapers (Library of Congress, Chronicling America) · fire-insurance town maps (Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Sanborn Maps Collection, public domain) · road work (WisDOT WZDx snapshot) · state-park rules (official state sources, compiled 2026-07) · park boundaries (Esri/USA Parks) · park establishment dates (Wikidata, CC0) · beaches (USGS GNIS) · live surf/flood alerts (NOAA/NWS, public domain) · tide predictions (NOAA CO-OPS, public domain) · parcel boundaries & owner records, shown when you select a location (free state/statewide parcel services - public records published by each state) · coin specs (US Mint public specifications) · yearly satellite time-series (Esri World Imagery Wayback). Everything shown is informational - not legal advice, and provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Always get permission on private land; never disturb protected sites, artifacts over 100 years old, or human remains. Nothing here implies endorsement by any government agency. Full terms.