Mount Denison

Mount Denison
Mount Denison (right)
Highest point
Elevation7,606 ft (2,318 m)
Prominence1,558 ft (475 m)[1]
ListingMountain peaks of Alaska
Coordinates58°25′N 154°27′W / 58.417°N 154.450°W / 58.417; -154.450
Geography
Mount Denison is located in Alaska
Mount Denison
Mount Denison
Location in Alaska
LocationKodiak Island Borough / Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska
Parent rangeAleutian Range
Topo mapUSGS
Geology
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Volcanic arcAleutian Arc
Last eruptionUnknown, probably Holocene
Climbing
First ascent1978, Richard Soaper, Dick McClenahan, et al.[2]
Easiest routeglacier climb

Mount Denison is a stratovolcano and one of the highest peaks on the Alaska Peninsula. Discovered in 1923 by Harvard professor Kirtley Fletcher Mather, the mountain was named for the geologist's alma mater, Denison University.[3] The mountain's connection to Denison also include its first climbers: all members of the first two ascent teams as well as the group that attempted in 1977 were either students, alumni, or faculty of the university.

Mount Denison is located at the end of a volcanic chain in a heavily glaciated and very remote section[4] of Katmai National Park. It is possibly the tallest mountain in the national park, though some sources list Mount Griggs as the highest.[5][6] Mount Griggs, on the other hand, is much more accessible, being next to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, which can be reached via the road from the national park's visitor center.

There is no record of an eruption, but Mount Denison was probably active some time in the last 10,000 years (the Holocene epoch).[7]

  1. ^ "Mount Denison". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  2. ^ The Denisonian Archived 2007-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Denisonians Plan Expedition to Mt. Denison, page 2
  4. ^ "Denison". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  5. ^ "Mount Griggs - Peakbagger.com". peakbagger.com.
  6. ^ Mount Denison highest in Katmai
  7. ^ "Mount Denison description and information". avo.alaska.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-11.