What was Denali's official U.S. name from 1917 to 2015?

Denali's official U.S. name from 1917 to 2015 was Mount McKinley.

The federal government adopted Mount McKinley in 1917, after President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating Mount McKinley National Park. The name had originated in 1896, when prospector William A. Dickey used it in support of presidential candidate William McKinley, who became the 25th U.S. president.

The name was contested for decades. Alaska officially adopted Denali in 1975, reflecting the longstanding Koyukon name, but the federal government continued using Mount McKinley. In August 2015, the Obama administration changed the official federal name to Denali.

The naming story remains politically and culturally significant. Denali means “the high one” or “the tall one” in Koyukon, while Mount McKinley honors a president who never visited Alaska. In January 2025, the federal name was changed back to Mount McKinley, but the question's 1917–2015 historical period correctly points to that name.