ANCHORAGE, ALASKA ? North America’s tallest mountain is getting crowded – too crowded for safety.

For the first time, the number of climbers allowed on the 20,320-foot Mount McKinley in Alaska will be capped at 1,500 a year beginning in 2007 – not too many more than the record 1,340 alpinists who attempted to scale the mountain last year.

McKinley, known locally as Denali or “the High One,” is required climbing for many of the world’s most serious mountaineers, who attempt to reach the summit of the highest peak on each of the seven continents. About half the climbers who attempt McKinley come from other countries, according to the National Park Service.

It’s too late to restrict this year’s climbing crowd.

“Whatever shows up this year, we will have to deal with. We are not prepared to turn back anybody this year,” park ranger Daryl Miller said Friday.

The goal is safety and protecting the mountain, said Kris Fister, spokeswoman for Denali National Park and Preserve. She said all but a handful of climbers are on the mountain during a brief two-month period in May and June, and about 95 percent choose the West Buttress route to reach the top.