Visiting Every National Park in One Year with Conor Knighton

Jul 31, 2025

Conor Knighton, an Emmy-winning correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and author of Leave Only Footprints, shares his transformative journey of visiting every national park in one year. He dives into the profound changes in his life that sparked this adventure, stemming from personal and professional challenges. Conor offers valuable travel tips for enjoying these parks, emphasizing quieter trails and meaningful connections with fellow travelers. His storytelling reveals how focused travel can deepen experiences and foster a sense of community in the great outdoors.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Starting the Journey at Acadia

Conor started his national parks journey on New Year's Day 2016 at Acadia, where the sun first hits the contiguous US.
He proceeded with the trip even before official approval, driven by excitement and purpose.

ADVICE

Balancing Optimism and Planning

Handle uncertainty by balancing optimistic faith with practical planning and safety nets.
Gain confidence by learning from repeated experiences and staying flexible to change course.

ADVICE

Balancing Work and Travel Presence

Manage travel while creating content by planning stories months ahead but staying present in the moment.
Use a blend of work projects and personal park visits to maintain balance and enjoyment.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

What changes when you give your travels a singular mission?

Conor Knighton is an Emmy Award-winning correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and the bestselling author of Leave Only Footprints. After a personal breakup and some professional uncertainty, Conor pitched an idea that turned into a once-in-a-lifetime journey to all 59 national parks - a mission that transformed his life.

In this episode, Conor shares how the trip came to be, the people and parks that changed him, and why structure and singularity can create deeper travel experiences. He also offers practical advice for making the most of your national park visits, especially when you want to avoid the crowds.

If you’ve ever wanted to build a long-term travel journey around a specific goal, Conor’s story shows how powerful that can be. He opens up about the personal challenges that led to the trip, how he pitched it to CBS, and what it was really like to live on the road for a year. Along the way, he shares travel-tested tips for navigating national parks, connecting with strangers, and building a meaningful solo travel experience.

*This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen.

What’s the most powerful travel experience you’ve had in nature? I'd love to hear what they are, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

Tune In To Learn:

How Conor transitioned from acting to TV journalism
What sparked his idea to visit every U.S. national park in one year
Why structure and a mission can elevate your travels
How he funded and planned the yearlong journey
Advice for navigating national parks without the crowds
What to do on “lazy” travel days and why they’re important
The best gear and apps for park-based road trips
How to balance travel and content creation
Stories of the inspiring people he met along the way
Reflections on uncertainty, risk, and reinvention
And so much more

Resources:

Want More?

Thanks To Our Sponsors:

Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card.