Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in North America, at a height of approximately 20,320 feet (6,194 m) It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park.

Mount McKinley has a larger bulk and rise than Mount Everest. Even though the summit of Everest is about 9,000 feet (2,700 m) higher as measured from sea level, The base of Mount McKinley is roughly a 2,000 foot plateau, giving it an actual rise of 18,000 feet (5,500 m).

The mountain is characterized by extremely cold weather and by an unusually severe risk of altitude illness for climbers, due to not only its high elevation but also its high latitude. At the equator, a mountain as high as Mount McKinley would have 47% as much oxygen available on its summit as there is at sea level,[ but because of its latitude, the pressure on the summit of McKinley is even lower.

The first recorded attempt to climb Denali was made by Judge James Wickersham in 1903 though he did not make the summit due to the difficulty and danger of the route he attempted. The first ascent of the main summit was made on June 7th 1913 led by Hudson Stock an Alaskan native commenting on their return

“The view from the top was like looking out the windows of heaven”
The mountain is regularly climbed today with 50% of the expeditions being successful, though it is still a dangerous undertaking. By 2003 the mountain had claimed over 200 lives.