Assessing the management effectiveness of nature reserves is an effective way to achieve conservation and management objectives, but China's existing management assessment has focused on a single and same type within the same province, and lacks the assessment of the management effectiveness of multiple types of nature reserves in the medium-to-large scale. The provinces through which the Yellow River flows contain many national key ecological function areas and national-level nature reserves. As an important foundation of the ecological barrier, these areas and reserves play a prominent role in maintaining regional ecological security. In order to promote regional ecological protection and high-quality development, this study evaluated the management effectiveness of the 82 national nature reserves in the provinces which the Yellow River flows during the period from 2016 to 2020 by constructing a management effectiveness assessment index system of 26 items in 5 categories, and adopting an evidence-based expert scoring method. Then based on the identification of key factors affecting management effectiveness, the study proposed targeted countermeasure suggestions. The results showed that: ①The management effectiveness of the 82 national nature reserves in the provincial area through which the Yellow River flows has been generally good since 2016, with an excellent rate of 26.83% and a good rate of 64.63%, which mainly reflected in the higher average scores of the indicators of the management main body, the background survey, and the protection objects. ②Spearman correlation analysis showed that the higher the management level, the earlier the establishment, the better public services, rules and regulations and financial security of the nature reserve, the more management effectiveness of the nature reserve. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the indicators of infrastructure and daily patrols, scientific research monitoring and popularization of science and informatization, community relations and ecological restoration, and protection objects; ③Shortcomings of the management effectiveness mainly reflected in the construction of talents, comprehensive law enforcement, community development, and the protection of the target. The shortcomings of management effectiveness mainly reflected in talent construction, comprehensive law enforcement, community development, and human interference, etc. The study suggested that the relevant units should improve the talent team, administrative law enforcement, and ecological compensation in order to enhance the management effectiveness.