Metal Detecting on Georgia's Metro Atlanta
21 locations · 12 prohibited · 8 limited · 1 permit required
Rules last verified: · Georgia statewide rules
Metro Atlanta has no beaches and no open state land, so the rules turn on county and city ordinances — and several of them ban detecting outright. Henry and Forsyth counties prohibit metal detectors in their parks by name, DeKalb bars searching and digging, and the City of Atlanta allows only surface detecting with no digging (Piedmont Park included). Cherokee County is the rare yes — but only with the parks director's written permit; Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton and Douglas allow detecting yet forbid the digging that damages turf. The federal and state sites are hard nos: the Chattahoochee River NRA and Kennesaw Mountain, and the state parks (Sweetwater Creek, Red Top Mountain, Panola Mountain, Fort Yargo, Hard Labor Creek, Chattahoochee Bend). The realistic open ground is the designated swim beaches on Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona (confirm with the Corps project office) and private land with the owner's permission.
Beaches and parks on the Metro Atlanta
- 🔴 Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Prohibited · Fulton County
Federal NPS land — possessing or using a metal detector is prohibited throughout this unit (36 CFR 2.1(a)(7)); no digging, relic hunting or … - 🔴 Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Prohibited · Cobb County
Federal NPS land — possessing or using a metal detector is prohibited (36 CFR 2.1(a)(7)); this is a protected Civil War battlefield, so digg… - 🟠 Lake Sidney Lanier (USACE) Limited · Hall County
Corps rule 36 CFR 327.14: detecting is allowed only on designated swim beaches or previously disturbed ground; removing historic or archaeol… - 🟠 Lake Allatoona (USACE) Limited · Bartow County
Corps policy allows detecting only in listed 'approved' areas, daylight only; hand-dig holes max 4x12 inches in bare soil with all soil repl… - 🔴 Sweetwater Creek State Park Prohibited · Douglas County
Georgia State Parks rules prohibit metal detecting and even possessing a detector; the Civil War mill ruins here are protected historic grou… - 🔴 Red Top Mountain State Park Prohibited · Bartow County
Georgia State Parks rules prohibit metal detecting and even possessing a detector; the park sits on Lake Allatoona but is state-managed, so … - 🔴 Stone Mountain Park Prohibited · DeKalb County
Stone Mountain Park Ordinance 8-103: metal detectors are not permitted at the park except for security purposes. The park is run by a Georgi… - 🟠 Fulton County parks Limited · Fulton County
Fulton County's parks code has no metal-detector clause and no general dig-up/remove rule, but most parks are actually run by the city they … - 🟠 Cobb County parks Limited · Cobb County
No detector ban in the code, but Cobb Sec. 90-59 makes it unlawful to dig up, damage or remove landscaping or historical/cultural artifacts … - 🟠 Gwinnett County parks Limited · Gwinnett County
No explicit detector ban, but Gwinnett Sec. 78-37 makes it unlawful to dig up, cut, damage or remove rocks, vegetation or historical artifac… - 🔴 Panola Mountain State Park Prohibited · Henry/Rockdale County
Georgia State Parks rules prohibit metal detecting and even possessing a detector on state-park land; Panola is a protected natural-area/her… - 🔴 Chattahoochee Bend State Park Prohibited · Coweta County
Georgia State Parks rules prohibit metal detecting and even possessing a detector; this is state land, so digging and artifact removal are b… - 🔴 Fort Yargo State Park Prohibited · Barrow County
Georgia State Parks rules prohibit metal detecting and even possessing a detector; Fort Yargo preserves a 1793 log fort, so its historic gro… - 🔴 Hard Labor Creek State Park Prohibited · Morgan County
Georgia State Parks rules prohibit metal detecting and even possessing a detector; this is state land, so digging, collecting and disturbing… - 🔴 DeKalb County parks Prohibited · DeKalb County
DeKalb Code Sec. 19-41 makes it unlawful to search any county park for historic artifacts or for lost/abandoned property of another, and to … - 🟠 City of Atlanta parks Limited · Fulton/DeKalb County
Atlanta Code Sec. 110-59(29) (Prohibited conduct) bars using metal detectors 'other than for surface metal detection' and states that 'the u… - 🟠 Clayton County parks Limited · Clayton County
No detector ban exists in the code, but Clayton Sec. 66-6 (Prohibited acts) makes it unlawful to deface, displace or remove park property an… - 🟡 Cherokee County parks Permit required · Cherokee County
Cherokee Sec. 42-54 (Use of detection devices) makes it unlawful to use any electronic device for the detection of metals, minerals, artifac… - 🔴 Forsyth County parks Prohibited · Forsyth County
Forsyth Code Sec. 54-16(b) states it is 'a violation of this chapter for any member of the public to use a metal detector or similar equipme… - 🔴 Henry County parks Prohibited · Henry County
Henry Code Sec. 3-13-4 (Parks—Prohibited acts) makes it unlawful 'to use in any park or recreational area any electronic device for the dete… - 🟠 Douglas County parks Limited · Douglas County
No detector ban exists in the code, but Douglas Sec. 12.5-5 (Prohibited acts) makes it unlawful to deface, displace or remove park property …
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Local metal detecting clubs · Metro Atlanta
- North Georgia Relic Hunters Association (NGRHA) Marietta Founded 1972 — Civil War relic hunting, RAMROD newsletter, and the Southeastern Civil War & Antique Firearms ShowMeets: 1st & 3rd Tuesday · 7 PM · Marietta Website
- Stone Mountain Treasure Hunters Duluth Founded 1982 — coins, beach and water hunting, and Civil War relics; monthly finds contestMeets: Last Tuesday (no December meeting) · 7 PM · Duluth Website
Other Georgia regions
Atlantic Coast · North Georgia · South Georgia
See also: Georgia metal detecting laws · federal rules