When people think about the highest peaks, mountains in Asia, Africa or Europe are usually the names that come to mind. However, North America also has some impressive peaks. Check out the 5 highest peaks found in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Mount McKinley
One of the highest mountain peaks in North America is Mount McKinley in Alaska. Mount McKinley, which is sometimes also known as Denali, has an elevation of 20,320 feet. It lies in the Alaska Range of mountains and is one of the central points of the Denali National Park and Preserve. This majestic mountain is not only the highest mountain in the United States and North America but is also the third tallest mountain in the world.
Mount Logan
The second largest peak on this continent is Mount Logan, which is located in the Saint Elias Mountain Range in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Mount Logan has an elevation of 19,541 feet. This mountain is part of the Kluane National Park and Reserve. Mount Logan is actually a peak that is continuously rising due to the ever-present movement of tectonic plates around the mountain range.
Pico de Orizaba
The third highest peak in North America is known as either Pico de Orizaba or Citlaltepetl, and is located on the border of the Mexican states Puebla and Veracruz in the Cordillera Neovolcanica mountain range. Pico de Orizaba has an elevation of 18,491 feet. One of the most interesting things about Pico de Orizaba is that it is a dormant volcano. It last erupted in 1846.
Mount Saint Elias
Mount Saint Elias is the fourth tallest mountain in this region. As its name suggests, it is located in the Saint Elias Mountain Range with Mount Logan. Mount Saint Elias is 18,008 feet tall. It rests on the border of Alaska in the United States and the Yukon Territory in Canada. For this reason, half of Mount Saint Elias is located in Canada’s Kluane National Park and Reserve, while the other half is in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve in the United States.
Volcan Popocatepetl
The fifth tallest peak is Volcan Popocatepetl, which is also located in the Cordillera Neovolcanica range. This mountain is on the borders of Puebla, Morelos and the State of Mexico in Mexico. It has an elevation of 17,802 feet. Volcan Popocatepetl is an active volcano and last erupted in 1947.
Featured Image from Antony Sklivagkos/Unsplash
