Treasure hunting is the common name for a fun and interesting hobby enjoyed by thousands of people around the world. They use portable metal detectors to go outside and literally hunt for treasure. With the price of gold over $700 oz today, more and more people are getting metal detectors and heading into the hills.

The FMDAC

In order to help you get started in treasure hunting, you should check out the Federation of Metal Detector and Archeological Clubs, Inc. You can find out about any events, meeting or treasure hunting clubs in your area. You can find out where to legally go look for gold in treasure hunting. Usually, you have to go to state parks and public property unless you are invited onto someone's private property. And it's not just a pipe dream to find gold treasure hunting in this way. People have actually found very valuable items, from gold coins to gold artifacts.

You also need to know your area's municipal codes, which the FMDAC can help you find. Sometimes, you can legally go treasure hunting in public schools, church grounds and public beaches with metal detectors. You might even be asked by neighbors to help locate utility pipelines on their property or to find lost trinkets in their back yards.

Wal-Mart

Believe it or not, Wal-Mart is now playing a big role in promoting finding gold by treasure hunting. Usually, stores will not allow any solicitation in their premises. However, Wal-Mart has a unique partnership with the FMDAC where they will allow displays by treasure hunting clubs in their stores. These can be manned or unmanned display tables with pamphlets. Your local Wal-Mart or Super Wal-Mart may be the place to go get started in gold treasure hunting business.

Is There Any Gold Left?

The best place to prospect for gold is the place where gold already has been found. Some nice size nuggets have been found with metal detectors in areas that have had active gold mines in the past. Not every ounce of gold has been mined or panned from rivers. Part of the treasure hunting hobby is to learn gold panning and pour over old prospector maps. There still is a market in this hobby for treasure maps. Some treasure maps will show you where gold has been found in the past. The odds are that not all of the gold was found and that there might still be some left in those gold-bearing areas.

The Roaring Camp Mining Company is in Pine Grove California, which is about one hour east of Sacramento. Visitors to the mining camp are shown many of the mining techniques us for locating gold. You are able to pan, sluice, dredge and dry wash for gold. You get to keep any gold that you find. Gold bearing material is collected from the mine bedrock area and run through a screening process to remove the large rocks and it is then made available to you.

California isn't the only state where there has been success in gold treasure hunting by amateurs. Gold has been found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Virginia. The gold was found with the use of portable metal detectors or gold-panning. So, there still might be gold left "in them thar hills".

Happy Treasure Hunting.