Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife refuge on Pyramid Lake in Washoe County, Nevada.

This 247-acre island refuge in Pyramid Lake serves as a protected sanctuary for colonial nesting birds, particularly hosting one of the largest American white pelican breeding colonies in the western United States.

President Woodrow Wilson established this wildlife refuge through executive order in 1913, making it one of the earliest federal bird protection areas created specifically to safeguard colonial nesting species.

The refuge operates within the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian Reservation through a cooperative agreement between the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, reflecting collaborative indigenous and federal conservation efforts.

No boats are allowed within 1,000 feet of the refuge, so the island and its nesting colonies can only be observed from a distance on Pyramid Lake. Refuge staff and volunteers land on the island to monitor birds and band juvenile pelicans. The island lies in Washoe County, Nevada, about 19 km from Nixon.

Between 8,000 and 10,000 American white pelicans migrate annually from Southern California and Baja California to breed exclusively on this isolated island, making it a critical reproduction site for the species.