what was denali national park called before

July 7, 2026

Denali National Park was originally called Mount McKinley National Park when it was established in 1917. In 1980, it was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve.

Quick Scoop

Before: Mount McKinley National Park.

Now: Denali National Park and Preserve.

The name Denali comes from the traditional Koyukon Athabascan name for the mountain.

Simple context

The park’s name changed in 1980 as part of a larger conservation expansion, but the mountain itself kept the Mount McKinley name federally until 2015.