Denali: Touching the Sky in North America

Denali: Touching the Sky in North America

Okay, let’s talk about high places. Really high places. When it comes to North America, one peak lords over all the others: Denali. You might know it as Mount McKinley, but whatever you call it, this mountain is a true giant, scraping the sky at a staggering 20,310 feet. That’s nearly four miles straight up!

Nestled deep within the Alaskan wilderness, inside Denali National Park and Preserve, this isn’t just another pretty mountain. It’s a geographical heavyweight. Think about this: from its base to its tippy-top, Denali rises about 18,000 feet. That’s more than Everest! It’s no wonder it’s considered one of the most prominent and isolated peaks on the planet. When you stand at its foot, you really get a sense of just how much it dominates the landscape.

Denali actually has two summits, a South and a North. The South Summit is the star of the show, reaching that famous 20,310-foot mark. But the North Summit isn’t exactly a slouch, clocking in at a respectable 19,470 feet. And all around, glaciers snake down its slopes like icy rivers. You’ve got the Peters Glacier on one side, the Muldrow Glacier on another – it’s a breathtaking sight.

Now, about that name. For centuries, the Koyukon Athabascan people, who’ve called this region home for ages, knew it as “Denali” – “the high one.” Makes perfect sense, right? But then, in the late 1800s, a gold prospector decided to rename it Mount McKinley, after a presidential candidate. And for a long time, that’s what the U.S. government called it too, even though the people of Alaska preferred the original name. The state officially recognized the name Denali back in 1975, and kept asking the federal government to do the same. In 2015, they finally did the right thing and changed it back to Denali. However, in January 2025, the mountain’s official federal name was reverted to Mount McKinley.

Climbing Denali? That’s a whole different ballgame. We’re talking a serious expedition, usually two or three weeks of battling some of the harshest conditions imaginable. The first successful climb was way back in 1913. These days, the most popular route is the West Buttress, first pioneered in 1951. But don’t let “popular” fool you. This is no walk in the park.

Imagine temperatures plummeting to -94°F. Picture winds screaming at 150 miles per hour. And try to breathe with only a fraction of the oxygen you’re used to. It’s no surprise that over 120 climbers have lost their lives on Denali. This mountain demands respect.

But Denali is more than just a challenge for climbers. It’s the heart of Denali National Park, a six-million-acre sanctuary teeming with wildlife. Grizzly bears roam the tundra, caribou graze in the valleys, and Dall sheep cling to the mountainsides. Wolves, foxes, and more than 150 species of birds call this place home. It’s a true wilderness, a place where nature still reigns supreme.

So, whether you call it Denali or Mount McKinley, take a moment to appreciate this incredible peak. It’s a symbol of Alaska’s wild beauty, a test for the adventurous, and a reminder of the power and majesty of the natural world.