Subject to prior approval, Stebbins Cold Canyon Natural Reserve is open to researchers and teachers from institutions of higher education, K-12 teachers and affiliates, and other state, and federal conservation and related agencies. Please complete the application linked here (rams.ucnrs.org) before beginning your field activities, including outreach, research or heading out with your class. Applications are normally processed within one business day.

We also offer opportunities to carry out field activities outside of the public trails system. Please contact the reserve manager if you would like more information about the adjacent Cahill and Spencer Ranch properties.

Reserve staff can often offer advice to make your research and class visits more pleasant and productive. Be sure to factor in the removal of infrastructure, flagging, or other markers into your project wrap-up plan. Do not hesitate to contact us with questions.

A Public Reserve

The Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve is unique in that it contains 8 miles of hiking trails that are open to the general public. These trails are among the most popular between the northern California coast and the Sierra Nevada, annually drawing over 60,000 visitors. The heavy public use limits the attractiveness of the Reserve for some researchers due to the human presence. However, Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve offers the uncommon opportunity to study the interaction between human recreation and natural ecosystems at the wildlands-urban interface.

There are opportunities to conduct research from the perspective of human behavioral sciences; how different interactions with the natural environment affect human behavior and mental health.  Ecological scientists might explore from the opposite perspective; how human activity impacts plant and animal ecology at various physical distances from the trails.  Education specialists can study how an outdoor, living laboratory can best be utilized to enhance elementary, secondary, or post-secondary educational programs. We invite you to consider Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve for your studies and look forward to discussing how we might collaborate.