Towering - Denali National Park, Alaska

Mt McKinley, Denali National Park, Alaska

This mountain does indeed tower over everything, at least in North America. Its name to many is Mount McKinley, but to local Alaskans, it is known simply as Denali. A little history is in order. A local prospector gave it the name Mount McKinley after the newly elected president in 1897. The name stuck and was even more solidified when, in 1917, President Wilson signed into law the establishment of Mount McKinley National Park. In 1980, a federal law was passed to combine the park with the Denali National Monument, and the combined park was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. The federal law did not change the name of the mountain from Mount McKinley to Denali. The state of Alaska legally changed the mountain's name to Denali, but that change is not recognized by the federal government. Regardless of its name, the mountain is an amazing sight to see. Visible only 30% of the year due to cloud cover, I was lucky enough to shoot this on our first day.