a day / 40 miles / an hour 19 minutes
Pyramid Lake, sponsored by Native Americans, takes you to one of the largest desert lakes in the world. It is landlocked on the barren desert floor and its colors change from green, to turquoise, to deep blue. The lake is also a resting place for a variety of migrating waterfowl.
Day 1
9:00 - 0.0 miles / - 9:00
Sutcliffe is located on the west bank of Pyramid Lake. It is the home of the Pyramid Lake Visitor Center, where visitors can find out about the natural history of the area.
9:30 - 14.3 miles / 28 minutes - 9:58
Paiute Tribe Museum & Visitors Center
The Pyramid Lake Museum is also a visitor center, displaying historical and pre-historic tribal artifacts. Learn more about the history and culture of the Paiute tribe. Permits for recreational activities can also be purchased here. The museum/visitor center offers a great chance to become immersed in the surrounding tribal culture.
10:43 - 4.8 miles / 9 minutes - 10:53
Marble Bluff Fish Passage Facility
The Marble Bluff Fish Passage Facility is part of the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex. It consists of four major components: Marble Bluff Dam, fish lock, fishway and fish handling building. It aids the spawning of the endangered fish of Pyramid Lake: the cui-ui (chasmistes cujus) and Lahontan cutthroat trout. The fish are no longer able to access their old spawning grounds because of the dam and the change in the lake's elevation in the last century. The facility houses a "fish lock," similar to an elevator, that lifts the fish around the dam and up into the river for spawning. Visitors are able to see the fish outside in the months of April and May during the spawning runs. US Fish and Wildlife also provide tours in this area.
11:38 - 11.5 miles / 23 minutes - 12:01
The Numana Hatchery brings in about a half to three-quarters of a million eggs, or fry, each year. They raise the eggs to fish and have a tagging program. This program allows the hatchery to tell that the fish came from their hatchery when they are two to three years old. This allows them to keep track of their success rate. Visitors can see pools in which the fish are raised outside or indoors. The hatchery has a number of sites that visitors will enjoy. They house a small museum that depicts what the hatchery does throughout the year, what they are trying to accomplish, a history of the program, and pictures of the lake itself. A nature trail exists below the hatchery where visitors can see a number of birds.
12:31 - 9.0 miles / 18 minutes - 12:49
Wadsworth was established as a stopping point for gold miners of the California Gold Rush and continued on as a town when the Central Pacific Railroad passed through. Wadsworth was a supply depot for travelers and the railroad alike. Now, many historic buildings can be found in the town of Wadsworth. Today, Wadsworth is the gateway to the Pyramid Lake Scenic Byway where visitors embark on a drive to the beautiful nearby desert lake.
13:19 - 0 miles / 0 - 13:19