Denali

Denali, called Mount McKinley by the U.S. government since 2025, is the highest mountain peak in both the United States and North America, and one of Seven Summits. It is exactly 20,310 feet (6,190 m) high.^[4] It is in the highest part of the Alaska Range.

Denali
Mount McKinley
From the north, with Wonder Lake in the foreground
Highest point
Elevation	20,310 ft (6,190 m) top of snow[1][2] NAVD88
Prominence	20,194 ft (6,155 m)[3]
Parent peak	Aconcagua[3]
Isolation	4,621.1 mi (7,436.9 km)[3]
Listing	World's most prominent peaks 3rd World's most isolated peaks 3rd Seven Summits 3rd Country high points 14th North America highest peaks 1st US highest major peaks 1st Alaska highest major peaks 1st U.S. state high points 1st
Geography
Denali Location in Alaska
Location	Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, U.S.
Parent range	Alaska Range
Topo map	USGS Mt. McKinley A-3
Climbing
First ascent	June 7, 1913 by Hudson Stuck Harry Karstens Walter Harper Robert Tatum
Easiest route	West Buttress Route (glacier/snow climb)

Name

Denali means "the high one" in the Athabaskan language. In 1896, a gold prospector named it Mount McKinley after William McKinley, who would win the presidency that year. The U.S. government adopted "Mount McKinley" in 1917. In 1975, the Alaskan government began calling the mountain "Denali". The U.S. government followed suit in 2015. In 2025, President Donald Trump ordered government agencies to once again call the mountain "Mount McKinley".

Location

Denali is in the middle of the Alaska Range. It is about 130 miles (210 km) north-northwest of Anchorage and 155 miles (249 km) southwest of Fairbanks. The summit is about 35 miles (56 km) from the nearest major road, the George Parks Highway.