The bus came to a stop on the gravel along the road. My son and I stood up, grabbed our packs from the overhead racks, and started down the aisle. The other passengers stared as we left the bus and slung our packs on our backs. They seemed surprised that anyone could get off the bus at a place like this.

A "spectacle of nature," in which the Muldrow Glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve has suddenly surged forward for the first time in more than six decades, has created a scientific window for glaciologists to better understand the park's rivers of ice. Though highly unusual, the glacier's rapid movement is not believed to be linked to climate change but rather due to the "unique nature of the structure and composition of the glacier’s ice, its surrounding rocks, and the topography it is moving through."

Portions of the Denali Park Road in Denali National Park and Preserve will be open to private vehicles this summer, though you'll need to make a reservation if you want to cruise down that road.

It’s no secret glaciers are retreating due to global warming trends. Different federal agencies have set up glacial monitoring programs to track these changes in the national parks. But don’t fret about a total disappearance of glaciers just yet. There are national parks in both the U.S. and Canada where you can still see, and even stand on, a glacier.