Pacific Tarn

Pacific Tarn is a small lake located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the United States. It is notable for its 13,420 foot (4,090 m) elevation,[1] making it the highest lake in the United States whose name is recognized by the United States Board on Geographic Names, surpassing other lakes such as Hawaii's Lake Waiau on Mauna Kea, and California's Tulainyo Lake near Mount Whitney.

Pacific Tarn
Pacific Tarn in the Tenmile Range of Colorado
Pacific Tarn Show map of Colorado Pacific Tarn Show map of the United States
Location	Summit County, Colorado, United States
Coordinates	39°25′11″N 106°07′11″W
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	560 ft (170 m)
Max. width	464 ft (141 m)
Surface area	4.7 acres (1.9 ha)
Max. depth	28 ft (8.5 m)
Surface elevation	13,420 ft (4,090 m)

The lake sits atop the broad eastern ridge of Pacific Peak in the Tenmile Range.

Efforts to name the lake were spearheaded by Carl Drews, a Boulder, Colorado resident who organized an expedition to the lake in 2002 to measure the size, depth and water chemistry. The lake remained unnamed until January 8, 2004, when the United States Board of Geographic Names officially approved the name Pacific Tarn for the lake.