Denali, in south-central Alaska, is sometimes called the top of the continent because it has the highest peak in North America. The mountain actually has two peaks—the South Peak, which is 20,310 feet (6,190 meters) high; and the North Peak, which rises 19,470 feet (5,934 meters). For many years, the height of the South Peak was believed to be 20,269 feet (6,178 meters). In 1956, after 10 years of surveys, the U.S. Geological Survey determined the summit’s height to be 20,320 feet (6,194 meters). In 2015, scientists using Global Positioning System (GPS) data established the height as 20,310 feet (6,190 meters).
Denali is part of the Alaska Range. It is the chief scenic attraction of Denali National Park. In the language of Athabascan Indians of Alaska, Denali means The Great One or The High One. The north side of the mountain represents one of the world’s greatest unbroken precipices (steep cliffs). From 1917 to 2015, the mountain was officially called Mount McKinley. It had been named for William McKinley, who served as president of the United States from 1897 to 1901. In 2015, the name was officially changed from Mount McKinley to Denali.
Between 1903 and 1913, at least 11 expeditions tried unsuccessfully to climb to the summit of Denali. In 1906, Frederick A. Cook claimed to have been the first person to reach the summit. But his claim was found to be false in 1910 (see Cook, Frederick A. ).
Also in 1910, a group of miners and prospectors known as the Sourdough party climbed Denali. They said they had reached the top and claimed to have erected a flagpole at the summit. In 1913, Hudson Stuck, Harry P. Karstens, and two companions became the first people to successfully climb to the top of the South Peak. From there, they sighted the flagpole planted by the Sourdough party on the slightly lower North Peak. In 1932, Alfred D. Lindley, Harry J. Liek, Erling Strom, and Grant Pearson reached the top of the South Peak. Two days later, they climbed the North Peak, thus becoming the first people to ascend both peaks.
