Pyramid Lake, Nevada

You've heard of Lake Tahoe, of course. But where does Lake Tahoe drain?

Why, Pyramid Lake, of course. It's about 30 miles northeast of Reno. The Truckee River comes out of Lake Tahoe and heads for Pyramid Lake. There, the water stops flowing. The water is a stark contrast to the rest of the area, which is quite brown and stark -- beautiful, in its own way.

The lake gets its name from a pyramid-shaped rock on the east side of the lake. There's no easy way to get up to it, unless you like to do some hiking, but it's easy to see when you are on the west side. The picture above was taken in Sutcliffe, a village that looks like the center of activity in the area. In the foreground is an interesting rock formation; check with your local geologist for information on that one -- fun to look at, though.

The lake is surrounded by the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, and it looks like outdoor activites (boating, fishing, etc.) are the major attraction. It makes for an interesting morning side-trip if you want to get away from the green of Lake Tahoe or the casinos of Reno.