Grandfather Presents: Conor Knighton
October 2, 2025 @4:45 pm - 7:45 pm
Conor Knighton is a correspondent for “CBS Sunday Morning” and the author of the New York Times best seller “Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park.”
Described by BookPage as “entertaining, informative, and inspirational,” Leave Only Footprints is an account of the year Knighton spent wandering through America’s “best idea,” exploring the threads that tie our national parks together and that tie us to nature.
Copies of this book will be on sale at Grandfather Mountain’s Wilson Center gift shop prior to the event and on Oct. 2 during Grandfather Presents, as supplies last.
Knighton’s reports for “CBS Sunday Morning”— the country’s top Sunday morning news show — have taken him to protected places around the globe, from a tropical nature reserve in the Seychelles to a glacial lagoon in Iceland. He is the creator and producer of the show’s “On the Trail” series, a collection of stories on the U.S. national parks.
Knighton has hosted and produced television shows for AMC, Biography, EW Scripps, and Current TV. He recently guest-hosted the 41st anniversary broadcast of live music program “Mountain Stage,” heard on NPR stations across the county.
Knighton has won five Daytime Emmys as part of the Sunday Morning team and has won a Los Angeles Area Emmy for his work on KCET’s “SoCal Connected.” He’s been nominated for two additional Los Angeles Emmys and his feature reporting has been honored with a National Headliner Award and an LA Press Club Award.
A graduate of Yale University, Knighton is a native of Charleston, W.Va., and now resides in West Seattle, Wash.
The more than five million people who tune into “CBS Sunday Morning” each week are likely to see correspondent Conor Knighton reporting from places with fewer than five thousand residents. From a gathering of lumberjacks in Hayward, Wis, (pop. 2,584) to a legendary Christmas parade in Madrid, N.M., (pop. 247) to the Woolly Worm Festival in nearby Banner Elk, N.C., (pop. 1,130), Knighton goes in search of larger-than-life characters in off-the-beaten-path locations. He returns to Grandfather Mountain to share some of his favorite small town stories.
Tickets go on sale online for this event here at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 26.
Grandfather Presents Schedule
- 8 a.m. for July and August events, 9 a.m. for September and October events | Grandfather Mountain opens for the day, and “VIP Reception” ticket holders are allowed access to the park. Your event ticket will be scanned at one of our ticket booths at the entrance gate.
- 4:45 p.m. | “Presentation” ticket holders are allowed to enter the park and are welcome to explore the Conservation Campus (Wilson Center, Mildred the Bear Environmental Habitats and more) prior to the speaker presentation. Your event ticket will be scanned at one of our ticket booths at the entrance gate.
- 4:45 – 5:45 p.m. | Check-in for all event attendees near the front entrance of the Wilson Center (to receive your wristband for the event)
- 5 – 5:30 p.m. | “VIP” Reception in the Wilson Center (“VIP Reception” ticket holders only)
- 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. | Speaker presentation in the Classroom in the Clouds
- 6:45 – 7:30 p.m. | Meet-and-greet/book signing with speaker
- 7:45 p.m. | Park should be clear of all Grandfather Presents guests.
Grandfather Presents Tickets
Two tiers of ticket access are offered for Grandfather Presents events.
“VIP Reception” tickets include a VIP reception with the guest speaker that features heavy hors d’oeuvres, in addition to the program and the “meet-and-greet/book signing” session after the event. Admission to the park for the day is also included.
- $60 “VIP Reception” Adult
- $51 “VIP Reception” Bridge Club Member (limited quantity available)
“Presentation” tickets are a more cost-effective option and include only the speaker’s program and the “meet-and-greet/book signing” session after the event.
- $25 “Presentation” Adult
- $20 “Presentation” Bridge Club Member
- Children under 12 are admitted free with a paying adult (maximum of four free children per purchase).
Bridge Club Members, click here to purchase “VIP Reception” tickets.
You will need to use your Bridge Club member number (located on your card below the barcode) to purchase.
Bridge Club Members, click here to purchase “Presentation” tickets.
You will need to use your Bridge Club member number (located on your card below the barcode) to purchase.
Non-Bridge Club Members, click here to purchase “VIP Reception” tickets.
Non-Bridge Club Members, click here to purchase “Presentation” tickets.
Refunds/Cancellations
Full refunds will be given to individuals who reach out to us at least five days before the event (midnight, Sept. 27). This allows time for individuals on the waiting list to make accommodations to attend the event. To cancel your registration, please call 828-833-6332 Monday – Friday between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or email judi@grandfather.com.
