Although Mount Everest is the
highest spot on earth, making it the highest mountain, it is not the tallest
mountain. That honor goes to Mount McKinley, which measures about 18,000 feet
from base to peak, making it the largest mountain above sea level. Mount
McKinley is also the highest mountain peak in North America. It is part of the
Alaska Range and is in Denali National Park and Preserve. The Native name for
Mount McKinley is Denali, which means “High One” or “Great One.”
Mount McKinley is not as infamous
as Mount Everest, and is regularly climbed today. However, it has still claimed
the lives of over 100 mountaineers. The climb is also not quick: it takes
roughly two to four weeks to reach the top! These mountains are no joke,
people!
For those not brave enough to
want to climb Mount McKinley and in search of a tamer way to experience its
beauty, Denali National Park has a road cutting across the park which offers
views of Mount McKinley. The road is 92 miles long, and although private
vehicles are only allowed up to mile 15, bus rides are available beyond that. I
love visiting national parks (I can hardly wait for our national park vacation,
which starts later this week!!!), so viewing Mount McKinley by visiting
Denali is something I would definitely like to do someday. In the meantime,
here are few photos I found of the Mountain. (Bonus: one photo has a moose in
it!)
Read more about Mount McKinley at
these web addresses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_McKinley; http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/visiting-denali.htm.
Xoxo,
Diana
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