Conor Knighton, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and keynote speaker

Conor Knighton

Conor Knighton is a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and Emmy Award winner who shares witty, heartfelt stories of America and its people.

5-time Emmy Award winner

National Park Nerd

Morning Person

5-time Emmy Award winner • National Park Nerd • Morning Person •

Conor Knighton keynote speaker on National Parks, Conservation, Exploration, Journalism, Travel, Health & Wellness, and storytelling

More about Conor

Conor Knighton is a national correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning—the country’s #1 morning news show—and the author of The New York Times Bestseller Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park.

His reports for CBS Sunday Morning have covered everything from the Scandinavian obsession with salty licorice to what it’s like to wake up on Wake Island, one of America’s most remote military bases. He’s the creator and producer of “On the Trail,” a series about the U.S. national parks, and “Island Hopping,” a series of segments set on islands across the world, from St. Pierre to the Seychelles.

Conor has won five Emmy Awards as part of the Sunday Morning team and a Los Angeles Area Emmy for his work on KCET's SoCal Connected. His feature reporting has also earned a National Headliner Award and an LA Press Club Award.

  • An avid traveler on and off the job, Conor has produced stories from India, Nicaragua, The United Arab Emirates, Czech Republic, Iceland, and Austria. He’s hosted and produced shows for AMC, Biography, EW Scripps, and Current TV, and his commentary has been featured on CNN, HLN, TV Guide, MTV, E!, and Oxygen.

    A graduate of Yale University, Conor grew up in Charleston, West Virginia and currently resides in Seattle, WA. He remains especially fond of Tudor’s Biscuit World, pepperoni rolls, and Mountain Stage.

Speaking Topics

Conservation
Exploration
Nature
Culture

Watch Conor in action

Presentations

Leave Only Footprints: Through the National Parks Acadia-to-Zion keynote topic

Leave Only Footprints: Through the National Parks Acadia-to-Zion

As an antidote to a broken heart, Conor hit the road to explore America’s “best idea,” the U.S. national parks. Along the way, he discovered unexpected stories, colorful characters, and life-changing lessons. America’s beloved news host takes audiences on a whirlwind, heartfelt, and unforgettable adventure across the country’s wildest landscapes

“When I set out to spend a year exploring “America’s Best Idea,” I was worried the whole thing might be my worst idea. The national parks ended up changing my life.”

– Conor Knighton