My question is how to go about finding safe areas for mud fun. i've never gotten muddy and it's something i want to do. is there a list of safe verified spots in the us or the world for getting muddy, or if not any advice for finding good spots, testing how deep etc.

so far in the part of southern california (san diego) i'm in the spots seem to be either private property or state parks.

Since I'm in the U.S. My thing is i don't want to end up trespassing state or private property that could get me arrested or shot. Also once travel opens more i want to visit europe and asia to see the different tourist attractions but also find muddy spots just for the heck of it.

Try ... https://www.quicksandfans.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17493

O nice, thats still going.

Wow this looks like a great resource thanks! san diego doesn't have much going on but this is a treasure trove for northern california, other states and countries.

Looking at the mud scenes on here- a lot of them seem to be estuary or riverbank locations.

Go out walking/exploring a LOT and always be on the lookout. Find any water body on the map/satellite photos and check it out as you never know.

Good mudding spots are a lot rarer than good swimming spots- I can name 4 I've personally found (one of which has likely been lost to coastal erosion, and another is only viable for a few days each year)

As for what to avoid;
Footpath mud- unless your in an area where dogs are banned this will be contaminated with dog shit (/piss). Same rule applies for farm mud.
Woodland areas- this will be full of sticks/branches. Not a total no-go, but be prepared to do a bit of cleaning work beforehand.

The other option is to build your own pit- which gives you a bit more flexibility in location, but a lot more work in terms of setting up.