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Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Locations from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce

Posted by: TimothyT on: 02/26/2011 10:46 AM in Metal Detecting [ Print ]

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Locations Locations from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce

One of the nice things about the Treasure Coast is the abundance of parks and public access. This means that metal detecting on the Treasure Coast does not require you to look hard for a parking spot, instead you will need to figure out which place you want to go to!
I will also mention the spots that have known shipwrecks at their location; however this is a bit misleading and done more for knowledge than actual usefulness. Why? Simply because the 11 ships that sank were located just south of Sebastian and just south of Fort Pierce meaning that over 300 years one can safely assume that any spot in these areas is a good spot. Salvage crews have dug up ships, roughed up the sand and the weather has seen numerous nor’easters and hurricanes over these 300 years. You might want to use your knowledge and guess where the coins might come ashore or simply choose a known shipwreck location for the historic value of it. Occasionally you might even see a salvage crew working a shipwreck on a calm day.

Note This is currently a work in progress. No direct directions are being given as you can simply drive the route in order or print the map that I will put online when completed. For this list of parks you start at highway A1A (with a couple of exceptions that are a block or two from A1A) and Beachland Boulevard in the center of Vero Beach and drive south. For locations from Vero Beach north towards Sebastian see Locations from Vero Beach to Sebastian

Updated March 1st, 2011. Added new parks, photos and details

Sexton Plaza

Description: Waldo Sexton did a lot for tourism and development and had his hands in a lot of what you see today so this park bears his name as does “Waldo’s” restaurant and the Driftwood hotel up the street. I was told that he plowed this main road back in the day and many of the items you see at Waldo's were items he picked up off the beach. Today it has plenty of parking that can fill up, a crossover as well as shops and restaurants like the Ocean Grill (slightly upscale) and Mulligans (touristy). Like Humiston, you won’t find much treasure here but a bunch of hotels are nearby including Costa De Estes and Holiday Inn so I have done well here with modern coins and jewelry. Don’t park behind Ocean Grille or you will get towed.

Amenities: You are in the heart of Vero Beach on the ocean. From here you can walk the shops and restaurants and enjoy this small town.

Tips: Most likley you want to stick to modern jewelery so follow the dry sand tips.

Directions: Ocean drive at Beachland. If you came into Vero across the bridge, drive straight and you are there.

Humiston Park

Description: Humiston park is a family friendly park and was completely remodeled in 2010. There are about 40 parking spaces and more directly on Ocean Drive and across the street. Great place to bring the family with plenty of restaurants around. A farmers market is across the street on Saturdays. The only known shipwreck in this area was not carrying treasure, so you might find a lot of small chunks of metal from that ships boiler. Still a good place for modern coins and jewelery.

Amenities: Showers, bathrooms, picnic tables, jungle gyms, boardwalk, lifeguard station.

Tips: Most likley you want to stick to modern jewelery unless you want to walk north towards Riomar so follow the dry sand tips.

Directions: On Ocean drive as you head south from Vero.

Riomar - Nuestra Senora Del Carmen (Carmen)

Description: Riomar is a very small park located in a residential neighborhood. It has only 5 parking spaces. You need to get here early of you will not be able to park. If you show up at noon, you can forget it. This photo was taken at 8:00 in the morning on a Sunday and there is one or two spots left. There is nowhere immediately close by to park because you are in a residential neighborhood. If you can’t find parking, go back to Humiston Park and walk south on the beach until you get here. Humiston has plenty of free parking including across the street.

Amenities: Shower.

Tips: Head south and look for the golf course. It is just past an octagon shaped beach house. The Carmen shipwreck was directly in front of this house so you could go either way. The Sandy Point Wreck is reachable from here if you want to keep walking for a few miles towards South Beach.

Directions: From A1A in Vero Beach heading to Ft. Pierce look for RioMar Road.

South Beach - Nuestra Senora Del Rosario (Sandy Point Wreck)

Description: The ship that went down in this area was carrying gold bars as well as coins. This is a very large park featuring bathrooms, picnic areas, soda machines and what appears to be about 100 parking spaces. It is also off the beaten path. You might not find it unless you were lost or told about it as it is not directly on a path that people travel but rather back in a residential neighborhood. I actually recently discovered it myself when I was walking from Rio Mar and saw a lifeguard station. No one had told me about it and books I read overlooked it.

Amenities: Shower, picnic tables, soda machines, bathrooms, multiple entrances to the beach and a lifeguard station.

Directions: From A1A in Vero heading south you will get the 17th street bridge that goes back to the mainland. Turn left onto East Causeway and South Beach is at the end. If you go down Lady Bug Lane there is a small walkthrough but no parking. Please don't park in the street.

Round Island Riverside Park

Description: This park shows up after a couple of miles of driving with no parks in between. The park is at a traffic light that obviously seems out of place and has a boat launch across the street in case you are wondering why it is called Riverside. It never seems to be too busy and there is plenty of parking, bathrooms, trailer parking, picnic areas and even boat trailer parking. Not sure what you might find here. I suspect it is not the best spot due to fisherman and locals being the primary visitors. In other words a lot of lures, sinkers and bottle caps as the locals walk from their condos. Hey, maybe it’s an ignored spot that you can get lucky at? There is plenty of parking on both sides of the road available. You can sometimes spot manatees across the road by the boat launch as well as take a walk on a trial and up ,to an observation area. I have spotted lots of fish as well.

Amenities: Picnic tables, bathrooms, boat launch, trailer parking, manatee spotting.

Directions: As mentioned, this park is a few miles from the last park you saw back in Vero Beach and near the county line. Look for the traffic light.

Avalon State Park

Description: Just south of Round Island you will find Avalon State Park, one of the few that charges for parking. At the time I wrote this, the fee was $2.00. It has bathrooms and RV parking and it is not a really big park. I would assume the fee to park has 2 advantages; the RV parking and it’s a park that allows dogs and has free clean up bags for your pooch. Frankly for the 2 bucks I would go north or south for what we are discussing here but it’s worth a mention if you want to take your dog to the beach. Most people from out of town are not aware that most beach parks do not allow dogs.

Amenities: Picnic tables, bathrooms, RV parking, dogs allowed.

Directions: Just minutes from Round Island Riverside Park as you head south.

Pepper Beach Park

Description: This is one of my favorites for many reasons. Well over 100 parking spaces including RV parking, 3 lifeguard stations (though not always in use) bathrooms, soda machine, picnic areas, volleyball and tennis courts and it is located right next to the Navy Seal Museum. Hooyah! I have heard talk from the locals that they destroyed a lot of mines in this area many years ago and you should be careful if you dig up anything large. The place is huge but here is the one part I hope I don’t ruin; I have never seen the parking lot filled, far from it. I took this picture and metal detected here in late February and the sun was shining and it was already over 70 degrees. The lifeguard was just showing up at 9:00 AM and there was one person on the beach. A place like this normally has people out in the early hours to claim a great spot. I would assume it is very close to Fort Pierce and large public parks, yet just far enough out of the way for most people.

Amenities: Everything. Bathrooms, picnic, volleyball, tennis, parking lifeguards, quiet beach.

Directions: Just minutes from Avalon State Park as you head south. Pass the Navy Seal Museum and you just missed it. The Navy seal museum should stand out; you don't see too many tanks, boats and helicopters parked on A1A.

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Introduction

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Equipment you need to bring with you

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Dry Sand

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Wet Sand

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Locations from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce (You are here)

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Locations from Vero Beach to Fort Sebastian

Metal Detecting the Treasure Coast Beaches: Links

You can always email tim AT majorgeeks.com with your ideas or suggestions.