Denali is the highest summit in North America. Its name has changed several times in United States federal nomenclature: in 2015 Denali became the official form, and in 2025 the federal name was changed back to Mount McKinley. The national park around the mountain is still called Denali National Park and Preserve. Among climbers and in Alaska, the name Denali remains in wide use.
Indigenous names
Athabaskan peoples had their own names for the mountain long before European cartographers arrived. The best known is Denali, usually rendered as “the High One” or “the Great One”. The history of the name matters as much as the history of the ascents: it reflects the different linguistic and political traditions of Alaska.
Where the name McKinley came from
In the late nineteenth century the prospector William Dickey proposed naming the peak after William McKinley, who later became President of the United States. The name took hold on federal maps, even though McKinley himself had no connection with Alaska and never visited the mountain.
Early attempts
In the early twentieth century several expeditions tried to reach the summit, and claims of success provoked argument. Historians separate documented ascents from accounts that are not supported by route data and photographs.
The first confirmed ascent
The first generally recognised ascent of the main summit took place in 1913. The expedition followed a difficult line from the north-east. Its members faced a long period of self-sufficiency, severe cold and the consequences of a fire in camp. That success became a landmark in the history of North American mountaineering.
The West Buttress route
In the middle of the twentieth century the route along the western buttress — the West Buttress — was climbed. Today it is the main line for commercial expeditions, but the word “standard” does not mean easy. Team members carry loads between camps, live on the glacier and depend on the weather for weeks.
Why the mountain is so hard
- high latitude and severe cold;
- a large gain from the glacier to the summit;
- load carrying and camp building;
- crevasses, fixed sections and altitude hazards;
- storms and days of waiting for a weather window.
What to call the mountain today
In an English text it is useful to give both forms: Denali (officially Mount McKinley in the United States federal system since 2025). That helps the reader find current documents while still recognising the name climbers habitually use.
Official sources
- National Park Service: the history of the mountain’s name
- The 2025 United States executive order on the federal name Mount McKinley
The current programme is on the Denali / McKinley climbing page.
Why the history of the first ascents is disputed
The remoteness of Alaska and the poor communications of the early twentieth century made claims hard to check. Climbers came back without precise coordinates or full visual proof, and journalistic accounts quickly became part of the myth. The modern history of the mountain rests on comparing diaries, photographs, terrain and testimony.
A special place belongs to the 1910 expedition, whose members claimed to have reached the north summit. Their account was disputed for a long time, but it referred to something different from the 1913 ascent of the higher south summit. The phrase “the first ascent of McKinley” therefore has to specify which summit and what level of evidence is meant.
The 1913 expedition
The party of Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper and Robert Tatum reached the south summit on 7 June 1913. Walter Harper is considered the first person to set foot on the highest point. The expedition followed a route very different from today’s commercial West Buttress and organised its own long supply chain.
This story is also a reminder that early expeditions depended on the knowledge of local people, packers and team members whose roles were unevenly covered in older publications. A modern retelling should not reduce the success to a single leader.
How expedition logistics have changed
Flying in to the Kahiltna Glacier changed standard logistics. Instead of a ground approach lasting many weeks, most teams begin the glacier section after a flight from Talkeetna. The flight itself depends on the weather, however, and once they have landed the team is entirely responsible for its camps, its load carries and its roped travel.
Current park requirements
The National Park Service regulates climber registration, application deadlines and environmental requirements. The rules can be updated. A historical report or an old programme is no substitute for current registration, fees and briefing.
Why the history matters to a climber
It shows that advances in equipment have not removed the weather, the cold or the long spells of self-sufficiency. Modern tents, forecasts and communications reduce the uncertainty, but they do not turn the mountain into a guaranteed route. A climber still has to carry loads, build camp and wait for a safe window.
Names in older sources. An article or a map may use McKinley, Denali or an indigenous name in another language. When searching for historical documents you need to allow for all the variants. The current federal decision does not rewrite the names in the diaries and books of their own time; an editor gives the historical form and explains the present one.
The history of the routes. Besides the West Buttress there are more technical lines, but their achievements should not be mixed up with the mass history of the standard route. A speed record, a winter ascent and a new line answer different questions and each needs its own context. The number of successful expeditions does not make a hard line suitable for an ordinary climber.
How to read an expedition report. Look at the year, the route, the camp locations, the number of days spent waiting and the style of the ascent. Technology and rules change, and the weather history of one season does not predict another. Historical experience is useful for understanding decisions, but current requirements are always checked with the National Park Service.