My absolute favorite method of finding old places to hunt is by using Google Maps.  If you haven't used the free mapping software you need to read this post.  I will often scour old maps and read about the history of an area online or in books and then try to locate these areas on Google Maps.  Before ever setting foot into the woods, parks, or abandoned homesteads.  I will have scoured the areal photos on Google Maps to find potential locations to search.  Below I have included several situations that I have found that have helped me find and locate old areas to hunt.

(Pre 1900's Church Location)
I was scouring through some old maps near within a radius of 30 miles from my home when I came across this site.  I noticed that the map that I had depicted a church that had been build on a road between the fingers of two small streams.  A little farther north west there also stood another building that had been standing along this old road.  After looking at my aerial photos on Google Maps, I realized that this church and home were no longer standing.  


       (Pre 1915's map depicting church location)       (Same area with google maps, church  has disappeared)

Because the older map clearly shows that the church had been built between two fingers of the river, I knew that it would be somewhat easy to pinpoint.  I also noticed from the older photograph that the main river took a sharp bend to the south where these small "fingers" would have been located.  After comparing the above photographs of the same location.  I was able to determine the approximate location of the church.  The photograph below shows the same location after zooming in quite a bit.  You can see the old road depicted in both of the aerial photographs on Google Maps so I know that the road still exists.  It probably is a rutty, gravel road which I will need my 4 wheel drive pickup truck to traverse.  The photo below shows two locations that could be the church's location.  The bottom flag, I believe, is the most accurate location based on the other geographical occurrences.  However, I did notice a small opening in the trees a little northwest that could also be the remains of the church's foundation.  I will need to get on the ground to really find out where the church was really located. 



I really enjoy hunting old school and church sites because they have been very fruitful for me in the past.  I have often found barber dimes, half dollars and other silver coins at these locations.  What I also really like about these rural locations is that they are quite and can be thoroughly hunted without a lot of people wanting to stop and ask you questions.  Another thing which draws me to these sites is the fact that most of these locations have just disappeared off the maps and can only be found when referencing other old maps.  This would also mean that they have been untouched by other metal detector's and have the potential of yielding so very valuable old coins.  I always like knowing that at any moment you could find a coin or ring that could pay for your detector many times over.