Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali means �The High One� in Athabascan. Standing at 20,237 feet, Denali is the tallest mountain in North America and has roughly 14,000 feet of vertical relief from base camp to summit�more even than Mount Everest. While native populations had lived within the boundaries of today�s Denali National Park and Preserve for over 7,000 years, white settlers only arrived en masse starting in the 1890s. When they did arrive, it was to chase after Denali�s abundant game supply and placer gold in the Kantishna mining area. Only a handful of renegades made attempts on the peak at the turn of the century. Setting off with two thermoses of hot chocolate and six donuts�and a 14-foot spruce pole to set on the summit�the �Sourdough Expedition� reached the mountain�s north peak in 1910. Today, Denali draws over a thousand climbers each year, and the park provides a safe haven for wildlife and a beautiful natural playground for other backpackers and explorers.