All ten tallest mountains in America are located in Alaska and their histories are often intertwined with Indigenous cultures, the age of European exploration and prospecting, and the development of mountaineering. Many of their names reflect these different eras.
1. Denali (20,310 feet)
Indigenous history: For centuries, the Koyukon Athabaskan people called the mountain Denali, meaning "the high one" or "the great one," and revered it as a sacred place.
Name history: The mountain's name was officially changed to Denali in 2015 by President Barack Obama, restoring its Native American name. Before that, it was known as Mount McKinley, a name given by prospector William Dickey in 1896.
Mountaineering history: The first successful ascent of Denali's main summit was in 1913 by Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum.
2. Mount Saint Elias (18,009 feet)
Discovery: The mountain was first sighted by European explorers in 1741 by the expedition of Vitus Bering, but historians disagree on whether Bering named it or if it was named later by mapmakers. The Tlingit name for the mountain is Tsalxaan.
First ascent: In 1897, the first successful ascent was made by an Italian expedition led by Prince Luigi Amedeo.
Modern status: The peak is located within the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve and is known for its dramatic rise from sea level.
3. Mount Foraker (17,400 feet)
Naming: Mount Foraker was named in 1899 for U.S. Senator Joseph B. Foraker, though the local Koyukon peoples had their own names for it, such as Sultana ("the woman").
First ascent: The higher south peak was first climbed in 1934 by a party including Charles Houston.
Climbing challenge: Known for being a very difficult climb, Foraker's Infinite Spur route was a landmark climb completed in 1977.
4. Mount Bona (16,550 feet)
Naming: Italian explorer Prince Luigi Amedeo, while attempting to climb Mount Saint Elias in 1897, named this peak for his racing yacht, the Bona.
Volcanic origin: Mount Bona is the highest volcano in the United States, although it is ice-clad.
First ascent: The first ascent was made in 1930 by Allen Carpe, Terris Moore, and Andrew Taylor.
5. Mount Blackburn (16,390 feet)
Naming: Mount Blackburn was named in 1885 by an Army lieutenant for U.S. Senator Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn. The Ahtna name is K'ats'i Tl'aadi.
Volcanic origin: It is a heavily eroded shield volcano located within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
First ascent: The true summit was first climbed in 1958, but an earlier, though lower, eastern summit was climbed in 1912 by Dora Keen, an impressive mountaineering feat for its time.
6. Mount Sanford (16,237 feet)
Naming: This stratovolcano in the Wrangell Mountains was named in 1885 by Lieutenant Henry T. Allen.
First ascent: The first ascent was made by Terris Moore and Bradford Washburn in 1938.
Notable tragedy: In 1948, a Northwest Airlines flight crashed into Mount Sanford, killing all on board.
7. Mount F
