McKinley is one of the highest mountain peaks in North America. It is located in Alaska and is the most important attraction in Denali National Wildlife Park.
Mount McKinley is the highest in North America, but there has been controversy among experts until recently about the exact value of its height.
Mount McKinley height
Official data on the height of Mount McKinley, which appeared on maps and other topographic documents throughout the second half of the 20th century, indicated that this figure was 6193 meters. It is noteworthy that Mount McKinley is two-headed; therefore, the indicated height is characteristic only for one of its peak, which has the greatest distance from the surface of the earth. This figure was obtained in 1952 as a result of measurements made by specialists of the regional geospatial information office of the US Geological Survey, located at the location of the object - in Alaska.
However, more recently, in 2012, researchers from the US Geological Survey used the latest equipment to estimate the height of this natural object - an interferometric radar station, which was equipped with a synthetic aperture. The use of this method of measurement made it possible to obtain new updated data, which are currently considered an official estimate of the height of the mountain by this specialized agency. The information, which is now indicated on the maps, states that the height of Mount McKinley is 6168 meters.
origin of name
The modern official name of Mount McKinley was given to it in 1896: it was named after the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. The initiator of the proposal to assign it such a name was made by the scientist William Dickey, who was engaged in research of this object.
However, this mountain had other variants of names. The fact is that before Alaska was sold to the United States of America in 1867, the territory in question, including the mountain itself, belonged to the Russian Empire. At the same time, among the Russians, the peak had a simple and laconic name - Bolshaya Gora. At the same time, it represented the highest peak that at that time was on the territory of the Empire.
In addition, there was another version of the name of this natural object, common among the indigenous population of this territory - the Indians. They called the mountain "Denali", which in translation from the local dialect means "great". This name is reflected in the name of the national park, on the territory of which McKinley Peak is located today: it is called Denali.
