logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Are there pyramid-shaped rock formations in Nevada?

By Austin Tannenbaum
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
YES

Pyramid Lake in northwestern Nevada is home to natural pyramids. The conical limestone tufa formations were exposed when a larger ancient lake receded.

In 1843, John C. Fremont saw the massive rock formation on the shore of a desert lake and named it Pyramid Lake because it reminded him of the Egyptian pyramids.

Pyramid Lake is a remnant of Lake Lahontan, which covered some 8,450 square miles in western Nevada during the Earth’s Ice Age. In ancient times, Lake Lahontan reached out to eastern California and up to southern Oregon.

Cave and rock shelters along the shores of Pyramid Lake indicate that the Numu, or Paiute people lived at Pyramid Lake for thousands of years.

Encroaching silver prospectors led to the Pyramid Lake War in 1860. After years of conflict, the half million-acre Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation was formally established in 1873.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Atlas Obscura Pyramid Lake
Hamilton Historical Records Pyramid Lake – A Geographical Formation Named By Explorer John Charles Frémont
National Park Service The Pyramid Lake War
US Government Publishing Office Nevada Native Nations Land Act
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs from The Nevada Independent
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.