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Denali
The crown peak of the 600 mile Alaska Range, Denali is the highest mountain in North America. It scrapes the sky at a magnificent 20,320 feet, and its vertical relief is greater than that of Mt. Everest. Originally formed several hundred million years ago, the mountain sits right on the Denali Fault. At this plate boundary, the ocean floors and terrestrial lands collided and uplifted to create this lofty landform. These geological events are the source of Denali's beautiful, contrasting landscapes. The two extremes of wide, low plains and dark, somber mountains versus brightly colored peaks and sheer granite domes give beauty and character to the mountain. Even at its already great height, Denali is still rising approximately one millimeter a year, slowly increasing its grandeur.
Originally named Denali, the "High One," by the native Athabascans, the mountain was also named Mt. McKinley in 1917 after senator and President William McKinley. No matter what you call it, the environment remains largely intact, wild, and unspoiled, just as it was for the Alaska natives. In 1980, the preserve was enlarged by four million acres and redesignated Denali National Park by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Now at over six million acres, this undeveloped wilderness is one of the last great frontiers.
Visit the Denali National Park on our Alaska Explorer or our Glaciers and Grizzlies.
