Denali
Denali is called "The Great One" in the native Athabaskan language.
Plan Around Denali
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Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Denali Details
By the numbers, Denali ("The Great One" in the native Athabaskan language) is remarkable: it's the highest peak in North America at 20,237 ft above sea level, and the third-highest in the world after Mount Everest in the Himalayas and Aconcagua in the Argentinian Andes. Measuring 18,000 feet from base to peak, Denali (a.k.a. Mt. McKinley) is the largest mountain mountain in the world entirely above sea level. The mountain's South Summit is the highest point, while the North Summit has an elevation of 19,470 feet. Temperatures on the mountain have been recorded to drop as low as −100 °F, and Denali is the birthplace of five major glaciers: Peters, Muldrow, Traleika, Ruth, and Kahiltna. Explorer George Vancouver was the first European to record a sighting of the mountain, in 1794. The realization around the turn of the 20th century that the mountain was the highest peak on the continent led to a series of attempts to reach the summit, with early claims of success considered to be false. Despite the mountain's formidable terrain, thin air and harsh weather, the first conquest of the North Summit was almost casual, accomplished in 1910 by a group of lightly dressed locals carrying donuts and hot chocolate. In 1913, a group of climbers led by Hudson Stuck and Harry Karstens (who would later become the park's first superintendent) reached the top of the South Summit; Walter Harper, a Native Alaskan, was the first man to stand atop the mountain. Today, attempts to reach the summit are common, and more than half are successful; nearly all climbers follow the classic West Buttress route to the top of Denali.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
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Region
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Nearby Parks Around Denali
Compare nearby parks around Denali when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Denali
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Denali while the map context is still fresh.
7.7 mi away
Mount Dan Beard
The 10,082-foot Mt. Dan Beard overlooks the Don Sheldon Amphitheater of Ruth Glacier .
7.8 mi away
Mount Huntington
The pyramid-shaped Mt. Huntington stands close to Denali (Mt. McKinley) and Mt. Hunter.
8.6 mi away
Mount Hunter
Mt. Hunter is the third highest peak of the Alaska Range at 14,573 feet.
9.0 mi away
Don Shelton Amphitheater
The Don Sheldon Amphitheater is sometimes called the single most beautiful spot in Denali.
10.4 mi away
Mount Stevens
Mt. Stevens is 13,966 feet above sea level and named for the late Sen. Ted Stevens.
