The McLaughlin Natural Reserve

Part of the University of California’s Natural Reserve System, the McLaughlin Natural Reserve spans historic mining sites and former ranchlands in a remote stretch of the inner Coast Range north of San Francisco Bay. Its most striking landmark is the open pit left by gold mining operations that ran from the 1980s to the early 2000s, now the focus of ongoing reclamation and groundwater management. The 267-acre Davis Creek Reservoir, originally built to support the mine, has become a vital wildlife refuge and water source in this arid landscape. Wildfire is a regular visitor here, with major burns in 2015 and 2020 reshaping the landscape. David first explored the area in the 1990s and has been documenting it in depth since 2015.