At 20,320 ft., what is the highest mountain in North America?

At 20,320 feet, Mount McKinley—now officially called Denali by the U.S. federal government—is the highest mountain in North America. The mountain stands in the Alaska Range in central Alaska and is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.

The figure in the question comes from a 1952 photogrammetric measurement. A later U.S. Geological Survey survey placed the summit at 20,310 feet (6,190 meters), so modern references often use that slightly revised elevation. The difference reflects improved surveying and the fact that snow and ice conditions can affect measurements, not a change in the mountain itself.

“Denali” comes from a Koyukon Athabascan name commonly translated as “the tall one.” A gold prospector began using “Mount McKinley” in 1896 to honor presidential candidate William McKinley. The federal government restored Denali as the official name in 2015, but the U.S. Department of the Interior changed the federal designation back to Mount McKinley in January 2025. Alaska has long officially used Denali.

The first verified ascent reached the summit on June 7, 1913, by Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum.