Chickering American River Reserve – Access Coordinated via Sagehen

Chickering American River Reserve is administered in partnership between UC Berkeley’s Sagehen Creek Field Station and the Chickering family, who steward this unique property as part of the North Fork Association (NFA). While the site is part of the UC Natural Reserve System, access is coordinated jointly and requires prior approval from both Sagehen and the Chickering family.

Because of the site's remote location, limited infrastructure, and conservation easements, all visits—including research, teaching, and day use—must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Sagehen helps manage academic requests, while access and use logistics are coordinated with the Chickering family.

Before submitting a visit request, please be prepared to:

Include a detailed project summary outlining goals, proposed locations, methods, and any planned overnight use.

Understand that camping is permitted only with prior approval, and no infrastructure or unsupervised group use is allowed.

Allow sufficient lead time for approvals due to family coordination and site access logistics.

We deeply value your interest in Chickering and appreciate your support in maintaining this collaborative research partnership. For questions before submitting your application, contact Tim Brown, Reserve Director: timbrown@berkeley.edu.