Background
The lake is the largest remnant of ancient Lake Lahontan that covered much of northwestern Nevada at the end of the last ice age. Pyramid Lake was the deepest point in Lake Lahontan, reaching an estimated 890 feet (270 m) due to its low level relative to the surrounding basins. In the 19th century the vicinity of the lake was inhabited by the Paiute. The lake is now completely within the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. It was first mapped in 1844 by John C. Frémont, the American discoverer of the lake who also gave it its English title.
The name of the lake comes from the impressive tufa formations nearby. The largest such formation, Anaho Island, is home to a large colony of American White Pelicans and is restricted for ecological reasons. Access to the Needles, another spectacular tufa formation at the northern end of the lake has also been restricted due to recent vandalism.
Pyramid Lake was used as the filming location of Sea of Galilee in the 1965 biblical film, The Greatest Story Ever Told.
Read more about this topic: Pyramid Lake (Nevada)
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