Where to Metal Detect in Wyoming
Wyoming has 586 old and unincorporated settlement locations in the U.S. federal names database - 32 of them flagged as vanished (ghost towns, lost hamlets, abandoned communities). Every one is plotted on the free WhereToDetect map, along with a land-status check for any spot you tap.
Open the free Wyoming detecting map →Wyoming state park rules
Status: metal detecting is allowed in state parks only with a permit or written permission.
Wyoming Administrative Code (Dept. 024, Ch. 1, Section 15, "Preservation of Public Property") prohibits using a metal or mineral detecting device at a state park or recreation area without prior written permission from the park superintendent, and bans it outright at state historic/archeological sites except for official use.
Source: official state rule (compiled 2026-07; verify before you go).
Land you can usually detect without asking
Casual hobby detecting for modern coins and jewelry is generally allowed on BLM public land and in most National Forests - but never on archaeological sites, and anything over 100 years old is federally protected (ARPA). National Parks are completely off-limits. Everything else, including all private land, needs permission. The map shows which is which for any spot in Wyoming.
Getting permission on private land
Most of the best ground in Wyoming - vanished farmsteads, early school sites, old picnic groves - is private. The proven approach: bring a specific historical reason ("the 1890s map shows a schoolhouse in your field"), promise to fill every hole and haul out trash, and offer the owner first look at finds. WhereToDetect generates the permission letter, looks up the county parcel office, and tracks every ask for you.
FAQ
Metal detecting is allowed in state parks only with a permit or written permission. Wyoming Administrative Code (Dept. 024, Ch. 1, Section 15, "Preservation of Public Property") prohibits using a metal or mineral detecting device at a state park or recreation area without prior written permission from the park superintendent, and bans it outright at state historic/archeological sites except for official use. See the official rule for current details.
Federal BLM land and most National Forests generally allow casual hobby detecting for modern items (never on archaeological sites or anything over 100 years old, per ARPA). All other land - including private property - requires the landowner's or managing agency's permission. WhereToDetect's map gives a per-spot land status.
Wyoming has 586 old and unincorporated settlement locations in federal records, including 32 flagged as vanished ("historical"). Old settlement sites, early schools and churches, old fairgrounds, and storm-scoured beaches are classic productive ground - with permission.
Data: USGS GNIS (public domain) · state rules from official agency sources · informational only, not legal advice. Always confirm rules with the managing agency and get landowner permission. Protected sites, artifacts over 100 years old, and human remains are off-limits under federal & state law.