On Aug. 28, 2015, President Barack Obama, through Sec. of Interior Sally Jewell, announced that Alaska’s towering Mount McKinley would be officially renamed “Denali,” restoring an Athabascan name long used by Alaska Natives and many residents of the state. The decision was celebrated as a recognition of indigenous heritage, though it launched a controversy as well, as some saw the move as an insult to President William McKinley, the mountain’s namesake since 1896.
That name change officially lasted less than a decade. On Jan. 20, 2025 — his first day back in office — President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the US Department of the Interior to reinstate the name Mount McKinley, making it his first official act upon returning to the White House. Just three days later, on Jan. 23, Interior finalized the change, restoring “Mount McKinley” in all federal records. Google map references soon followed.
Today, the iconic 20,310-foot peak stands in Denali National Park and Preserve under the McKinley name, and Alaskans continue to use both names in everyday conversation. For many, “Denali” remains as a matter of identity, while “McKinley” endures as the federally recognized name, in spite of the Alaska Legislature passing a resolution in begging Trump to restore the name “Denali.”
The controversy has somewhat fizzled, replaced by other culture war issues of the day such as transgenderism and mutilation of children.
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