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Shrouded in the mysteries of Indian legend and a prehistoric past, Pyramid Lake reflects its history subtly. This place of intrigue has been the setting of major motion pictures, a war, a gigantic prehistoric inland sea, and a national wildlife refuge, making the area a haven for history buffs, rock hounds and outdoorsman.

Pyramid Lake is a vestige of a vast prehistoric inland sea called Lahontan. Spanning 8,000 square miles across northern Nevada and California, Lake Lahontan was formed two million years ago by receding glaciers. The evolution from a lush tropical climate to an arid desert caused the sea to shrink and form the 30-mile-iong Pyramid Lake. Remnants of its past are revealed at a petrified forest just north of the lake and area mountainsides which show striations of ancient shorelines.

About 11,500 years ago, the Kuyuiodokado tribe migrated to the lake. These ancestors of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe lived off the bountiful supply of cui-ui fish and Lahontan cutthroat trout. Legend says the spirit father led them to the lake near a 400-foot-high tufa island as a sign that their drought and famine had ended. This island, which resembles a pyramid, became the lake's namesake in 1844 when John C. Fremont searched the area for a mythical ever believed to flow from the Rocky Mountains to the San Francisco Bay.

The relationship between the Pyramid Paiutes and early Settlers was a quiet one until May 1860. What started as the tribe's retribution against two white kidnappers resulted in the death of more than 240 Indians and settlers in the Pyramid Lake Way. Historians say rumors arising from the death of the two men grew to the panic of an Indian uprising. Military companies formed and settlers banded together. On May 12, the Paiutes ambushed the makeshift military unit, killing 76 white men. This victory was short-lived when on May 24, the settlers outnumbered the Indians, killing 160 Paiutes. At that point, the natives never sought retribution.

Today, 1,600 native Americans live around Pyramid Lake in its three communities, Sutcliffe, Wadsworth and Nixon. The main industry is tourism, since Pyramid is one of northern Nevada's most popular outdoor recreation areas, located 32 miles northeast of Reno. Picnic areas, campgrounds, and 70 miles of beaches provide varied recreation.

Pyramid garners a rich tradition for trophy-sized Lahontan cutthroat trout. Late in the nineteenth century, literally tons of fish were caught each week. In the '30s, the lake became a fashionable getaway for celebrities and politicians. All of this led to a sharp decline in the trout population. Responding to the problem, the Paiutes instituted an extensive fish restoration program and innovative fishery which propagated this cold-water species in the warm desert lake. The success of the program is evidenced by the 60,000 pounds of keeper fish caught in an average year The average keeper, which weighs five pounds, is two feet long. Cui-ui, a prehistoric species, is also bred at the fishery. Pyramid Lake is the oniy habitat left for this rare species.

Pyramid Lake is also the habitat for thousands of American white pelicans. Anaho island a rocky peak several hundred acres in size, is one of eight white pelican nesting grounds in North America. President Woodrow Wilson declared the island a national wildlife reserve. Boating is prohibited within a 500 feet radius of the island.

More than watersports and bird watching await visitors. Tufa formations, made of calcium carbonate, rise dramatically from the valley floor. The lake's east side hosts sand dunes. This Strangely diverse landscape prompted movie makers to film on location such classics such as "The Greatest Story Ever Told," "The Misfits," and more recently "The Doctor," starring William Hurt.

The Paiutes treasure this area for more than its beauty. Their view of Pyramid Lake is best described by the Stone Mother Legend. The story tells of a family who lived in the valley before the Kuyuiodokado appeared. The two sons fought constantly. The father, tired of the incessant fighting, divided up the sons, sending one to a tribeto the north and the other to a tribe in the south. The mother, who was out collecting food at the time, discovered her children had been cast away and started crying. Her grief was so heavy that her tears filled the valley, creating Pyramid Lake, the cui-ui fish and the Kuyuiodokado (which means Cui-ui eating people).

"This lake is very important to our people," said Joseph Ely, former chairman of the Pyramid Paiute Tribe. "The lake is the heart of our people and culture. It will always be sacred to us."