The Seven Biggest Mountains In The United States Are All In Alaska And They Will Take Your Breath Away
By Megan McDonald|Published January 05, 2021
×
Megan McDonald
Author
Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
Alaska is known to be the biggest in just about everything. We are the largest state, coming in at three times larger than the state of Texas. Our shoreline absolutely dwarfs others in comparison. And the seven biggest mountains in the United States are all located within Alaska’s borders. Alaska is a state that just doesn’t do anything small.
The tallest mountain in North America feels like it needs no introduction. Coming in at a towering 20,320 feet, this mountain is guaranteed to steal your breath. It’s located within Denali National Park and was formerly known as Mt. McKinley. Some records note it as the third largest mountain in the entire world!
The second one on our list also holds the title of the third-largest mountain in North America. Standing at a whopping 18,008 feet, this mountain is located in one of the most remote areas on the entire continent. It’s located in its namesake park, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, which is the largest National Park in the United States and the least visited, due to its inaccessibility.
Mount Foraker sits close to Denali inside Denali National Park. In the distance, it’s frequently seen in tandem with Denali. It sits at an impressive 17,400-foot peak. It’s the third-highest peak in the United States and the second-highest peak in the Alaska Range.
Mount Bona resides in the huge Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. It has the distinction of being the tallest volcano in North America, although it’s currently dormant. It is classified as an ice-covered stratovolcano and is almost entirely covered in glaciers and ice fields.
Another mountain in the famed Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, this one is number five on our list. It stands tall at 16,390 feet and is a volcano in the Wrangell Range. It is the principal source of ice for the famous Kennicott Glacier, which flows down to the towns of Kennicott and McCarthy in Alaska.
Another dormant volcano in the Wrangell Range of Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, this one sits at 16,237 feet. The south face of this volcano rises up from the head of Sanford Glacier at a whopping 8,000 feet in just one mile. This makes it one of the steepest gradients in all of North America.
Mount Vancouver comes in just shy of 16,000 feet, at a still impressive 15,979 feet. It straddles the border of America and Canada. The peak that straddles the border has been humorously named "The Good Neighbor Peak," and it has, indeed, been a good neighbor to both countries. To its south lies the beautiful Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
Did you know that the seven biggest mountains in the United States were all in Alaska? Were any of these mountains a surprise to you? Have you seen any of them in person? Let us know in the comments!
