# CNAKDN25P - 2012 Denali National Park Quarter, P Mint

Denali National Park Quarter
Philadelphia Mint
Issue Date: November 5, 2012
Issue Quantity: 135,400,000

Denali National Park Quarter Design Elements: Dall sheep in front of Mount McKinley

Denali National Park and Preserve became Alaska’s first National Park in 1917.  At that time, it was named after Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America.

Alaska became part of the United States in 1867 as part of a deal struck by U.S. Secretary of State William Seward.  The area was largely unexplored by Americans until gold was found near Juneau.  It was one of the prospectors in Alaska at this time who gave Mount McKinley its name.

One of the driving forces behind preserving the area was Charles Sheldon.  Sheldon first visited the area in 1906 to observe the dall sheep.  He was fascinated by them and soon became concerned for their safety.  When he returned the following year, he began mapping out potential park boundaries along with a game refuge.  Sheldon spent the next few years lobbying for a park, largely with the Boone and Crockett Club.  

Sheldon’s tireless efforts paid off in 1917, with the park’s establishment.  Decades later, in 1980, four million acres were added to the park and it was renamed Denali at the request of locals, who thought it better represented the area’s cultural history.

The park’s Mount McKinley is one of the area’s most popular attractions, and a challenge for even the most experienced climbers.  As the highest peak in North America, it has earned the nickname, “Top of the Continent.”  Interestingly, McKinley has two peaks – the South Peak, which measures 20,329 feet high, and the North Peak, which rises 19,470 feet.  The native Athabaskans call Mount McKinley Denali, which means “The Great One” or “The High One.”