Denali: The Tallest Mountain in the United States – Elevation, Location & Climbing Facts

Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) in Alaska is the highest peak in the United States and all of North America.

Key Statistics

• Elevation: 20,310 ft (6,190 m) above sea level.
• Prominence: 20,194 ft (6,155 m) – 3rd most prominent globally after Everest & Aconcagua.
• Location: Denali National Park & Preserve, ~130 mi north of Anchorage, Alaska Range.
• Coordinates: 63.0695° N, 151.0074° W.

Name & History

• Indigenous Koyukon Athabaskan name: Deenaalee ("The High One" / "The Great One").
• Renamed "Mount McKinley" 1896 (gold prospector William Dickey, after presidential candidate William McKinley).
• Officially restored to Denali by U.S. Department of the Interior (2015) under Obama administration.

Climbing Denali

• Standard route: West Buttress (13–18 days typical expedition).
• Challenges: Extreme cold (-40°F/-40°C), high latitude (lower barometric pressure = physiological altitude ~22,000 ft), crevasses, avalanches, 3-week weather windows.
• Success rate: ~50% of permitted parties summit.
• Permits: Required via NPS (lottery for peak season).

Comparison

Denali's base-to-vertical-rise (~18,000 ft from 2,000 ft Kahiltna Glacier) exceeds Everest's (~12,000 ft from South Col), making it arguably the world's tallest mountain from base to summit on land.