Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge

If you’re a nerd for birds, there’s no better place to watch than at the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Situated on the outskirts of Fallon, the Stillwater complex is made up of three separate wildlife refuges, including Stillwater, Fallon, and Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge. All of Nevada’s national wildlife refuges are special habitats for unlikely life in unsuspecting places, and Anaho Island is no exception. Garnering international attention as a paradise for 280 species of birds, this massive wetland area on Pyramid Lake is of global importance as it makes for the perfect stopping place for more than 20,000 migratory birds each year. While each of these three complexes are special, Anaho Island stands out as an undisturbed breeding ground for the American white pelican, and it’s considered to be the largest breeding colony in the country. 

Anaho Island History

Anaho Island is an island within the ancient Pyramid Lake, protected by both the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Part of their sacred lands for thousands of years, this natural habitat sits undisturbed, continuing to serve as an idyllic natural breeding ground for the American white pelicans. Like other rock formations surrounding Pyramid Lake, Anaho Island is made of tufa, which is calcium carbonate that formed out of water from hot springs as the lake level receded. The name “Anaho” comes from a legend of an American Indian maiden once banished to the island. To hear more about this story and others important to the tribe, be sure to check out the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum & Visitors Center in Nixon.

Visiting Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge Today

Pyramid Lake’s western shore is open and available for public recreation, like fishing for the legendary Lahontan cutthroat trout, hiking the shore line, and photography and wildlife viewing. Anaho Island and the eastern shoreline of Pyramid Lake are closed to the public. Not to worry, though: You can still view Anaho Island wildlife from the western shoreline, and the American white pelicans fly and land all around Pyramid Lake.

Plan to see pelicans just about any time of year at Pyramid Lake, though their yearly journey begins when colonial nesting birds return to the island in late February and early March. By April and May, the maximum number of American white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, California gulls, and great blue herons have arrived and can be seen all around the lake.