What this means
The plain-English answer
Michigan uses a designated-area system. Some parks are fully open, some are partly open, and some require a permit. Historic and archaeological sites are off limits.
What is clear
Three rules to carry into the field.
- Use the current DNR park map, not an old list copied to another website.
- Show finds to park staff. Artifacts stay where they are and may be kept by the state.
- Small probes or trowels may be used without undue disturbance. Replace the soil; large-scale digging needs special authorization.
Final local check
Before you leave home
Open the current map for the exact park. If a boundary is hard to read, ask park staff before crossing it with the detector in use.
Federal ground
State rules do not answer federal land.
Federal regulation generally prohibits possessing or using a metal detector in National Park System areas. Narrow stored-device, navigation, scientific, mining, and administrative exceptions do not create a recreational exception.
Read the official sourceBLM may allow low-impact prospecting on suitable land, but closures, developed sites, protected areas, cultural-resource law, and active mining claims can change the answer. Ask the local field office first.
Read the official source