14 Best Places to Find Aluminum Metal Detecting

Ever struggled to find aluminum while metal detecting? Discover the secrets behind the best hotspots and get ready to uncover hidden treasures! Intrigued? Let’s delve in!

Last year, after the COVID restrictions were fully lifted, we all had to adjust our lives. That’s when I was drawn to detecting uncommon metals with my companion, a metal detector.

It all started when I found an old metal detector lying in my garage. I sought expert assistance to understand where I could locate aluminum.

I visited many places and obtained promising results.

Having been engaged in aluminum detection for more than a year, allow me to share the best places for finding aluminum using a metal detector.

Here’re the best places to find Aluminum metal detecting,

1. Your yard
2. School grounds
3. Baseball and football fields
4. Among stadium seats
5. City parks
6. Campsites
7. Bus stops
8. Church sites
9. On the shores of the creek
10. Ghost towns
11. The great lakes
12. Amusement parks
13. Fishing spots
14. Parking lots

So, in the rest of the article, I will be talking about each of these places and their potential to have aluminum substances for you to detect.

I invite you to be there till the end and increase your awareness of metal detecting.

For those of you who hang around the end, I will be sharing a tip with you on what I do to the aluminum I found while metal detecting.

So let’s jump straight into the article.

Best Places to Find Aluminum Metal Detecting

So, let’s discuss the best places for aluminum metal detecting. I’ll describe each one of them with my own experience.

Let’s jump in!

1. Your Yard

If you were thinking of a place to start practicing your new hobby, your yard might be the safest and best option.

No permission or awkward conversations are required to achieve the joy of finding metal in your yard.

I too started from my backyard. On the first day, I found an old beer can and a couple of bottle lids.

This gave me the perfect motivation to continue finding more treasure hidden in my yard.

Then I worked my way into the front of my lawn and discovered more of the same stuff hidden buried underground.

If you are a beginner to the subject of metal detecting, I highly recommend you start from your yard.

Because this will require zero permissions and you are not in a rush to finish the job. The perfect combination to finding things you love. 

What you might find in your yard might be different, but here are some aluminum finds detected in my yard,

• Soda cans
• Key tag rings
• Bottle opener

2. School Grounds

As you know school grounds are very busy places. Busy places mean there are a lot of chances of stuff being lost.

And kids are bound to lose something during the day. Aren’t they? Ha ha!

There was a local school ground near my place of residence.

As I was curious about what I could discover in the field, I met with the headmistress and got permission to detect metals in the school playing ground.

You will be amazed by what I found on the ground. There was a lot of metal stuff hidden underground and most of them were aluminum.

I was overflowing with joy as I finished searching the field.

Here are some of the aluminum items I discovered on the school ground,

• Old water bottles
• Cans of beverages
• Aluminum paperweights

3. Baseball and Football Fields

You can never go wrong with a baseball or football field. These are massive fountains of old and lost relics. And these are abundant with aluminum-based metals.

As I grew in confidence with going out and taking permissions for metal detecting, I went to a baseball field that was nearby.

As these fields are owned by municipal counties or local governments taking the consent might be a bit hard, but it is part of the fun too.

Luckily the baseball field I went to was an old one. I recommend you to find old places with a lot of history, as these places might have what we, the metal enthusiasts, just need.

Like baseball fields, you can never go wrong with a large football field. All the playing grounds and fields are bound to have some stuff hidden in them to be discovered.

Here are some aluminum finds I found on the baseball field that you might also have a chance of finding,

• Soda cans
• Bottle caps
• Aluminum screws

4. Among Stadium Seats

These are one of my favorite hotspots to find metal. Any crowd-gathering areas, from baseball stadiums to rodeos or even outdoor musical stadium seats are just the perfect place to quench your thirst for metal detecting.

Sometimes it can be hard to detect with your metal detector, but if it’s daytime you can use your vision to find lost stuff.

Here are some of the aluminum finds I discovered among the stadium seats,

• Soda cans
• Aluminum foils
• Bottle caps

I know it can be super hard to travel with your metal detector. Don’t worry! There’re some alternative methods to detect aluminum.

Read my ultimate guide to know the best methods to detect aluminum without a metal detector!

5. City Parks

City parks are good hotspots to detect metal. But there may be hardships in getting permission to detect in the city parks that are crowded every day of the week.

From my personal experience, even though these are hotspots for finding metals, as multiple enthusiasts like you and me have been here, the probability of us finding something valuable will be less.

But this could be a fun experience to try and who knows, it might be your lucky day and you might something more valuable than anyone.

So never back down, grab every opportunity with both hands and detect for more aluminum.

Following is the list of items I found out by metal detecting through the city park. There were a lot of aluminum finds like,

• Soda cans
• Earrings
• Bracelets

6. Campsites

For those who are out there, who like to detect metal and camp like me, campsites are the perfect place to be.

Campsites are abundant with years-old metals and even a single new piece gets added every day.

A lot of stuff gets abandoned in the places of campsites, so these might be the perfect place for you to find some aluminum.

I have had great success with finding aluminum in campsites and I think you would too.

These are some of the aluminum items I eagerly dug out of the ground during my camping and metal-detecting trip,

• Aluminum pegs
• Aluminum pans
• Soda cans

7. Bus Stops

If you are a beginner and are shy about asking for permission from authorities, bus stops can be the ideal place for you. Even when I started this I used to go to a bus stop every day to find new stuff.

I had a habit of going for a run in the early morning, so I modified this to appeal to my newfound hobby.

I was carrying the metal detector with me and when I completed the run, instead of taking back the bus, I was searching the bus stop for lost goods.

Thankfully, lots of aluminum stuff set off my metal detector.

To my amazement every day I returned home with some aluminum to add to my collection. Here are the aluminum things I found frequently lying on the bus stops,

• Soda cans
• Bottle caps
• Nails

8. Church Sites

When I started metal detecting, the word spread across my small community. Somehow it spread to the local priest too.

One day the priest was asking me to metal detect the church if I like it. As I am always open to new challenges I accept the offer.

And I was surprised by how much aluminum I found. The only thing I wondering at that time was, why wasn’t I here earlier?

Here is the list of aluminum items I found out by going through the church site,

• Aluminum foil wrappings
• Aluminum pans
• Bracelets

9. On The Shores of the Creek

During a recent trip to visit one of my friends in Arizona, I found out there was a local creek running near his house.

At that time, I heard that lot of people had discovered a lot of things from creeks. So I was eager to try my detector on the bans of the creek.

Even though I was eager, I had to wait for a few weeks, for my waterproof equipment to arrive.

Because I was not going to risk my fine metal detector with water.

So I advise you not to, if you are so eager just borrow a waterproof one from one of your fellow metal enthusiasts.

Shores of creeks are amazing places to find hidden metal items, especially aluminum as with the flow these carry a lot of stuff with them.

During the rainy season the amount of stuff carried by the creek is increased, so if you are planning to visit your nearby creek for metal detecting, I suggest you wait until the rainy season, which can yield a lot of goods for you.

Here are the most abundant aluminum items that you can discover from the shores of a creek,

• Soda cans
• Bottle caps
• Aluminum trays

10. Ghost Towns

To tell you a bit about myself, I am from the great state of Texas. Here the only things more abundant than ghost towns are rodeos and cowboy hats.

So if you have ghost towns in your state too, that is the ideal opportunity to find some hidden treasures.

These towns can be full of metal items and especially aluminum.

As the town is abundant getting permission isn’t a priority, but to be safe from legal actions getting permission from some authority would help massively.

These fountains of lost metals and scrapes can be so satisfying to detect through. I didn’t even feel the time passing away.

If you could find a town like this, I highly recommend you to visit it and give it a go with your detector.

Here are the aluminum things I found on ghost towns,

• Aluminum pans
• Aluminum pots
• Soda cans

11. The Great Lakes

Just like in the creeks, if you don’t have a waterproof detector, I don’t recommend risking your equipment in the water.

But if you do the great lakes are a perfect spot to find some metal buried in the ground.

Even though I wasn’t anywhere near the great lakes, I went on a trip once to try the experience of detecting near the great lakes.

The governments and authorities are very friendly towards detection, and that is what got me attracted to the great lakes in the first place.

There might be a lot of detectors just like you, so this will be an amazing opportunity to meet some similar-minded persons and build up a relationship.

Here are the aluminum finds that I frequently discovered on lakes,

• Aluminum construction parts
• Aluminum camping equipment like pegs and rigs
• Soda cans

12. Amusement Parks

Amusement parks are incredible places to relax and enjoy a good time but for us metal detectors, these laces are more than just fun zones.

These large crowd gathering laces will be packed with buried treasures. But to all the good it has it is a bit hard to get permission into detecting these areas.

Mostly these are owned by private contractors, so contacting and getting permission is hard.

But if there is an abandoned amusement park in your area. That will be even more amazing.

As the abandoned park means you roughly need to get permission, you are bound to find more aluminum treasures in abandoned places. 

Here is the list of most abundantly found aluminum items from the abandoned amusement park I have been to,

• Large aluminum parts of various activity areas
• Aluminum rims
• Nails

13. Fishing Spots

I am an avid traveler myself. It has greatly benefited me in finding new places to detect metal and relics.

Recently I found out about a fishing lake in my area. One day I just went to see if there was any luck in finding something.

And as it turned out, there was a lot of hidden stuff and treasures in this area. High-traffic areas like these are guaranteed to have years’ worth of metals and aluminum objects hidden underground.

I got really lucky that day and found about two kilograms’ worth of aluminum objects. Here are the aluminum things I found mostly,

• Soda cans
• Bottle caps
• Aluminum baits

14. Parking Lots

Parking lots can be useful places to find a lot of metal objects hanging around.

These areas are always busy and crowded in the daytime which is guaranteed to leave different metal parts scattered and spread on the ground.

Just like other sites if this is a place that is abandoned it is bound to have more debris lying around.

More debris means more stuff for me to detect. Here are some aluminum items I discovered from a parking lot,

• Aluminum rims
• Vehicle parts
• Hubcaps

So as a habit, I usually look for places that are abandoned.

Additional Places To find Aluminum While Metal Detecting

Apart from the list that I have mentioned above here’re some additional places and contexts that might also be fruitful for this activity,

• Construction Sites: Construction sites, especially those involving renovations of old buildings, could be rich in aluminum and other metals. Always remember to ask for permission and avoid active construction zones for safety reasons.
• Historical Battlefields: While certain rules and regulations apply, historical battlefields can be a good place to find relics, including those made from aluminum. Always ensure to respect the historical significance of the site and follow any local laws or guidelines.
• Flea Markets and Yard Sales: Sometimes, you can find old metal items that others might consider junk at these places. While not traditional metal detecting, it’s a good way to find metal objects including aluminum.
• Farm Fields: Old, used, or abandoned farm fields can often yield a good number of metal artifacts. From machinery parts to discarded cans, these places can have a surprising amount of metal items.
• Abandoned Industrial Areas or Factories: These locations often have a high concentration of metal scraps including aluminum. However, such areas can sometimes be hazardous, so always ensure to have permission and take proper safety precautions.
• Forests and Hiking Trails: Popular trails and camping spots in forest areas are also good as people often lose or discard items.

Best States to Find Aluminum Metal Detecting

While all the states don’t ban metal detecting practices. But certain states in the United States provide more favorable regulations to the metal-detecting community. 

Here’re the best states in the US to find Aluminum with a metal detector,

• Pennsylvania
• Ohio
• Georgia
• Arizona
• Connecticut
• California 

So this covers the best places to find aluminum metal detecting.

Apart from these places any crowded places and abandoned places could be good for finding metal, especially aluminum.

Aluminum makes up about 8% of the Earth’s crust, making it the most abundant metal and the third most abundant element. This indicates the potentially high frequency of finding aluminum while metal detecting, especially in places with a lot of human activity.

Earth.com

So, let’s answer some frequently asked questions.

FAQs

Did I cover all you wanted to know about the best places to find aluminum metal detecting?

I encourage all the newbies out there to, practice detecting more often.

And apart from metal detecting another skill you have to develop is the skill of pitching your proposal to get the permissions. I practiced my pitches with my neighbors and my in-laws.

So I would like you to do the same.

The best places to find aluminum while metal detecting are popular beaches, city parks, playgrounds, junkyards, old buildings, and homes. Other fruitful areas can be rivers, lakes, historical battlefields, construction sites, flea markets, yard sales, farm fields, abandoned industrial areas, forests, and hiking trails.

You might wonder what I do with all the aluminum I’ve gathered. Are you ready to know the secret?

I have gathered north of 25 kilograms of aluminum by detecting thus far. I have been selling the gathered aluminum to the local recycling plant.

There are reusing it to make new aluminum objects. Through this, I earn some money and I actively participate in stopping environmental pollution too.

I hope I was able to cover all the relevant areas regarding the best places for aluminum metal detecting through this article.

So get your detector ready and start digging some aluminum from the ground!