Denali Home

High winds on Denali preventing summit attempt

North America: Denali (20,320’/6194m)

Denali is the native American name for the mountain. In 1980, in honor of President McKinley, the National Park Service named the surrounding park Denali National Park. In 2015, the mountain’s name was officially changed to Denali.

It is in central Alaska – 300 miles South of the Arctic Circle and 200 miles East of the Bearing Sea. Denali offers some of the largest vertical gain of any mountain on Earth. With base camp at 7,200′ and the summit at 20,310′, this 13,110′ gain over twelve miles is larger than Cho Oyu (8,407) or even Everest (10,535). The biggest threat to Denali is the weather. It is well known for socking you in for days with high winds and snow. 45,411 climbers have attempted Denali, with 23,426 summiting, a 52% success rate. Almost 125 have died, including 11 in 1992.

The second highest mountain in North America is Mt. Logan in Canada’s Yukon, at 19,551’/5959m, 385 miles southeast of Denali. Similar to Denali, Logan is a vast massif with eleven peaks. Logan is believed to have the largest base circumference of any mountain. The normal route is straightforward, but the weather is a significant problem for Logan, as it is for Denali, in addition to being so remote.

Here’s a look at the summit stats for the popular West Buttress route from 2000 to 2024, along with the most popular summit day:

Denali West Buttress Route

source: National Park Service
YearTotal Summits%Top Summit Date#
202452350
202330830
202274570
202149052
2020CLOSED FOR COVID
201979365
201846344June 867
201746141May 3154
201664760June 1683
201558957June 1587
201440435June 499
201372968May 2756
201246040May 2756
201162355May 27 & 3045
201063056June 2154
200964960June 777
200865258May 3091
200751347June 1277
200654552May 2950
200571659June 15101
200462854June 471
200355658June 12115
200257553June 1356
200167060June 469
200055653June 371

These are some quick facts from the NPS for 2024:

  • Climbers from the USA: 639 (64% of the total of both Denali and Foraker registrants) US climbers came from all over, with representation from 46 of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. Consistent with past years, most US climbers came from the following four states: Washington State (95), Alaska (81), Colorado (79) and California (36).
  • International climbers: 362 (36% of total) Denali National Park welcomed international climbers from 51 countries this year. Once again, the top was Canada (40), followed by the United Kingdom (38), Poland (20), and China, India, and Japan, each with 17.
  • Average trip length: The average trip length (regardless of outcome) for non-guided groups was 14 days, with guided Denali climbs averaging 17 days. Isolating just the climbers who reached the summit increased the statistic to 20 days.
  • Average age  Submission of a climber’s age is now optional when applying for a Denali permit. Based on the individuals who did disclose their age this season, the average age for male climbers was 39, while women averaged 36 years old. The youngest climber was 15, and the oldest was 75.
  • Women climbers  Women comprised 16% of climbers on Denali and Foraker, or 161 individuals—down from 2023 when 197 women (19% of the total) attempted Denali and Foraker.

Denali Resources

I have climbed on Denali three times. You can read about my climbs through these links:

Share this post: