Skip to content

ROCKHOUND
ATLAS

Explore. Discover. Respect.

⌕

Near Me

50-state metal detecting intelligence

Metal Detecting in Washington

Official-source rules, permission pathways, map context and practical next steps—kept separate from the rockhounding atlas.

50-State Metal Detecting Map

Washington Metal Detecting Map

Filter, inspect and navigate the current Washington records with real map layers and permission-aware location details. Written rules always control permission.

14,825verified records
50states
298verified pins
14,825navigable
Map ≠ detecting permission. A marker or temporary search match is navigation context only. Written manager rules, posted restrictions, permits, protected-resource law, ownership and exact designated zones always control.
United States
State bubbles, verified pins and clusters are clickable · drag, zoom or change map layers
● Allowed / conditional● Permit● Prohibited● Restricted● ReviewBasemaps: OpenStreetMap / USGS · overlays: BLM
Verified pins are independently grounded public reference points. Query-only records appear on the map only after an explicit visitor request and remain temporary.

Washington metal detecting status at a glance

Washington does not have one universal public-land answer. The controlling result depends on the exact managing agency, legal scope, recovery method and any designated-zone requirement.

266Total researched locations
266Actionable decision pages
100%Actionable coverage
0Research holds

Washington coverage complete: every record in the researched state inventory has a public actionable decision. This does not mean every site is allowed and it does not turn confirmation-required or zone-confirmation pages into trip-ready places.

96Metal detecting not permitted under the current approved-park list
50Allowed only in posted approved portions after registration
33No blanket detector-recovery permission; Director authorization controls protected material removal
17Exact refuge activity and zone confirmation required
15Metal detecting permitted where no stricter designation or closure applies
12Metal detector possession/use and resource disturbance prohibited on NPS-administered land except lawful official/authorized exceptions
10Exact project recreation-area confirmation required
8Conditional recreational use only in suitable non-resource areas
6Confirm exact parcel owner; NPS restrictions apply to NPS-administered land
5Public entry/detecting prohibited
4Exact land-status and resource confirmation required
4Exact recreation parcel and operating manager confirmation required
2Exact-site confirmation required; no blanket detecting permission
1No permission inferred until the exact current property is identified and posted approved
1Allowed only under current registration and exact posted coastal-zone rules
1Allowed only in the specifically posted approved zone after registration
1Metal detecting permitted on ordinary DNR-managed land subject to exact restrictions

Washington metal detecting: quick answers

Is metal detecting legal in Washington?

There is no single statewide yes/no answer for every public place. This database currently contains 266 verified Washington records, and each result depends on the managing agency, exact legal scope, recovery method, protected-resource rules and any permit or designated-zone requirement.

Do you need a permit to metal detect in Washington?

52 current Washington records have a permit/authorization signal. Other records may be prohibited, confirmation-gated, zone-restricted or governed by a different rule, so public access alone is never treated as permission.

Does every record have map access?

Yes. Independently verified coordinates appear as pins; records without verified coordinates use safe on-demand address/name navigation, and sensitive records use a broader agency/locality reference. None of these map modes represents a permission boundary.

How current is the Washington metal detecting database?

The newest verification date represented in the current Washington verified inventory is 2026-09-01. Every location page also shows its own verification date, evidence grade and official source.

Washington structured dataset

Use the state-filtered JSON inventory for machine-readable legal status, managing authority, permit/recovery fields, verification evidence and safe map-reference metadata.

Open Washington JSON dataset

Explore Washington by agency, system and local area

Washington Metal Detecting Laws

Use the map explorer above to browse the complete state inventory without loading every location page into one response.