From Denali to Rainier: Natural High Points of States Linked to the National Park System

The peak of Mount McKinley is the highest point in Alaska and in all of North America. At 20,310 feet (6190 meters), it is so tall that astronauts in space can see it towering over the Alaska landscape. The National Park Service profiles it and other natural high points of states within the National Park System, many of which can be visited by hikers, climbers, mountaineers and drivers, and which often reward them with views. Park websites add photos, virtual tours and webcams, and the Service reminds readers to plan their trips and recreate responsibly.

The high points

Highlights

Alaska. McKinley is the crowning peak of the Alaska Range, which stretches 600 miles in a long arc on the Alaska-Canada border. Its names over time often referred to its size.

California. Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. It lies on the far eastern boundary of Sequoia National Park and in neighboring Inyo National Forest, within 85 miles of Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, the lowest place in North America. A permit is required, and it is one of the most climbed peaks in the Sierra Nevada. The John Muir Trail, which starts in Yosemite National Park, ends at its summit.

The John Muir Trail leads hikers to the summit of Mount Whitney (NPS photo).

District of Columbia. Fort Reno was part of a network of forts defending the capital during the Civil War, and in 1864 took part in repelling a Confederate assault on Washington at the Battle of Fort Stevens. At 409 feet it is still lower than the Washington Monument, which stands 555 feet 5-1/8 inches (169 meters) tall.

Maine. Katahdin, in Baxter State Park, is the northern end of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the goal of northbound thru-hikers on their 2,190-mile journey. It is also the southern end of the International Appalachian Trail, which extends into Canada. A round-trip day hike to the summit can take eight to ten hours. The mountain is a national natural landmark.

Massachusetts. Greylock, within Mount Greylock State Reservation, is the state's highest natural peak. Many trails, including the Appalachian Trail, cross it, with views of the Taconic and Berkshire Mountains, and the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower stands at the summit.

Tennessee. Clingmans Dome is the state's highest point and the third-highest mountain east of the Mississippi River. Hikers on the Appalachian Trail reach the highest point on the whole Georgia-to-Maine route there. Most visitors drive to the top when weather allows, and it can be very windy. On clear days the view from the observation tower reaches more than 100 miles in every direction.

Texas. Guadalupe Peak, the "Top of Texas", looks out over the Guadalupe Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert. The day hike to the summit takes six to eight hours, with a 3,000-foot climb, and is among the park's most popular. A pyramid-shaped marker at the top commemorates mail delivery by overland stage and by air. Though it looks like desert today, the mountain is part of a fossilized Permian reef that sat in a great inland sea 251 to 299 million years ago.

The desert around Guadalupe Peak usually has all four seasons, including snow-capped winters (NPS photo).

Washington. Mount Rainier is an active volcano and the highest mountain in the Cascade Range and the Cascade Volcanic Arc. Reaching the summit is a challenge for prepared mountaineers, who gain more than 9,000 feet of elevation on the way up. The mountain is large enough to create its own weather.

Mount Rainier makes its own weather (NPS photo).

Sources

• National Park Service, Natural High Points of States in Parks; rewritten in hubnx's own words.