Visit Grand Canyon National Park early in September and you'll be able to watch masters at work as they try to capture all the vibrancy and moodiness of the canyon during the 4th Annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art.

Seven national seashores dotting the Eastern Seaboard stand to suffer significant storm damage, loss of acreage to sea level rise, and hotter summer temperatures if climate change isn't blunted, according to the latest in a series of reports describing how the National Park System stands to be impacted by the phenomenon.

With black bears in Dinosaur National Monument working to put on pounds for the winter, monument officials have moved to close two backcountry campsites to prevent human encounters with the hungry bruins.

Throughout the summer we've been celebrating the work of national park friends groups. While the summer is coming to an end, their good work continues throughout the year. And with that in mind, they could use your support to fund that work. Here's a look back at some of the park system's "essential friends" and how you can support them.