What is in a Name?
Often times, visitors to the state of Alaska are confused by the
interchangeable use of names like Denali and McKinley. Locals rather
enjoy the confused expression often seen on the faces of tourists as
they try to keep it all straight.
Let's start with Denali and McKinley.
Mt McKinley is located in the Alaska Range and is North America's tallest
mountain at 20,320 ft. The mountain was named in 1896 for William McKinley
who, at the time, was a republican candidate for president.
However, the mountain already had a name. The Athabascan Indians who inhabited
the area for thousands of years had called it Denali. Denali literally meant
"the high one" or "great one" which is appropriate!
The State of Alaska officially acknowledged the original name bestowed
by the Athabascan and renamed the mountain Denali in 1975. The state Geographic
Names Board made it official, but the federal board never recognized the change
and refused to take any action to match the state of Alaska's recommendation.
Adding to the confusion, a similar name swapping history has occurred with the national park.
In the heart of Alaska lies one of the last great wilderness preserves on earth.
Thirty-five species of animals and hundreds of plant species sustain themselves by
completely natural processes in a wild domain. This special character led Congress
to create Mt. McKinley National Park in 1917.
The Alaska Lands Act of 1980 enlarged the park boundary to its present 6,000,000
acres and changed the name to Denali National Park and Preserve. Mt. McKinley lies
within Denali National Park and is one of the top destinations in Alaska.
All you need to remember is that McKinley is a mountain and was a president. It
is not a National Park. Denali is a mountain and national park but never president.
McKinley is in Denali but Denali is not in McKinley. You can visit McKinley while in
Denali. You can visit Denali and see McKinley.
That should about clear things up for you.
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