WhereToDetect
Old sites - tap: off / all / vanished
Public parks + age
Beaches + storm alerts - live NOAA
LiDAR bare-earth
Road work - WI
Public-land shading
Looking for old maps here…

Permission asks

Your pipeline from “found a spot” to “got a yes.” Look up the owner free at the county assessor site, then track every ask here.

My finds

Every dig, logged with GPS. Photos stay on your device.

Settings & backup

Your info fills the permission letters automatically.

My info (for letters)
Backup
Finds, asks and settings live only on this device. Export a backup before clearing your browser.
About
WhereToDetect is built on free & open data: 185,319 old-settlement sites (USGS GNIS, public domain) · federal land boundaries (BLM SMA) · historical USGS topo maps 1880s–2006 · historical aerials (114 free state/county imagery programs, 37 states; incl. UW-Madison WHAIFinder) · LiDAR hillshade (Esri World Hillshade from USGS 3DEP) · satellite & basemaps (Esri, © OpenStreetMap contributors, USGS) · search & place lookups (Nominatim, © OpenStreetMap contributors) · town history (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA) · old newspapers (Library of Congress, Chronicling America) · road work (WisDOT WZDx snapshot) · state-park rules (official state sources, compiled 2026-07) · park boundaries (Esri/USA Parks) · park establishment dates (Wikidata, CC0) · beaches (USGS GNIS) · live surf/flood alerts (NOAA/NWS, public domain) · yearly satellite time-series (Esri World Imagery Wayback). Everything shown is informational - not legal advice. Always get permission on private land; never disturb protected sites, artifacts over 100 years old, or human remains.

WhereToDetect

Check the land. Tap anywhere - is it public land you can usually detect, off-limits, or private?
Find old spots. 185,319 vanished & old settlements from federal records, plus 1880s–2006 topo maps nationwide, yearly satellite 2014–now, and historical aerial photos in 37 states.
See through the trees. One-tap LiDAR bare-earth terrain - cellar holes, mounds and old roads the satellite can't show.
Read the history. Wikipedia + real newspaper pages from 1736–1963 for any spot - know the story before you swing.
Get permission. Owner-ready letters and a tracker for every ask - researched → asked → yes.
Log your finds. GPS + photos, saved on your device.
Informational only - not legal advice. Always confirm rules with the managing agency and get landowner permission. Protected sites, artifacts over 100 years old, and human remains are off-limits under federal & state law.