2026 Friends Summit Participant Information

The Conservation Lands Foundation is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and expanding America’s National Conservation Lands. Together with our Friends Grassroots Network of nearly 90 community-based nonprofit organizations, we protect, steward, and advocate for at-risk landscapes across the western U.S. At the 2026 Friends Summit, our biennial in-person gathering of our Friends Network, we will discuss current challenges to public lands, share resources to build resilience and capacity, and celebrate stories of success and inspiration. This year's Summit theme is Defend What Matters: Shaping the Future of Conservation Leadership. Our intent is to create a space for our Network organizations to collaborate, learn from one another, and strengthen the collective impact of the Friends Grassroots Network. We’re looking forward to bringing together diverse leaders, partners, and changemakers from across the country for a few days of connection, collaboration, and shared learning.

As you plan your travel for the Friends Summit in Denver, we wanted to share some easy options for getting from the Denver International Airport (DEN) to our hotel, The Curtis Hotel, located in downtown Denver.

Getting to Denver
✈️ Closest Airport
Denver International Airport (DEN) is the closest and primary airport, located about 25 miles from downtown Denver. From the airport, you can take a rideshare/taxi directly to the Curtis or a train to Union Station.

🛬 Airlines Flying into Denver International Airport
United Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Southwest Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Alaska Airlines
JetBlue Airway

🚗 Driving
If you plan to drive to Summit, please let us know ahead of time. We will cover your hotel parking fees during your stay.
Getting to The Curtis From DEN
🚕 Rideshare or Taxi
Uber, Lyft, and taxis are readily available at DEN.
Travel time: ~35–45 minutes, depending on traffic
Follow airport signage for rideshare or taxi pickup zones

🚆 Public Transit to Downtown (Union Station)
The RTD A Line Train runs directly from DEN to Union Station in downtown Denver.
Travel time: ~37 minutes
Cost: ~ $10 each way
Trains run frequently throughout the day
From Union Station, The Curtis Hotel is about a 10–15 minute walk, or a short shuttle, rideshare, or taxi trip

🚏🚌 Getting From Union Station to The Curtis
Walk: Approximately 0.6 miles (10–15 minutes) southeast on 16th or 17th Street (see map below)
Free Mall Ride Shuttle: Board at Union Station and get off at Curtis Street. The Curtis is located on Curtis and 14th Street
Uber/Lyft: Available for app-based pickup at Union Station

	Monday, May 11		Tuesday, May 12
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM	Welcome & Sign-in	6:00 AM - 7:30 AM	Morning Walk/Run
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM	Meet & Greet	7:30 AM - 8:50 AM	Breakfast
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM	Dinner	9:00 AM - 9:50 AM	Plenary
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM	Welcome Reception/Keynote	10:00 AM - 10:50 AM	Plenary
		11:00 AM - 11:50 AM	Breakout Sessions (1 - 4)
		12:00 PM - 1:30 PM	Lunch
		1:30 PM - 3:00 PM	Deep Dive Sessions (1 - 4)
		3:15 PM - 5:00 PM	Office Hours
		3:15 PM - 5:00 PM	Afternoon Activities
		5:00 PM - 6:30 PM	Dinner
		6:30 PM - 7:30 PM	FGN Awards
		7:30 PM - 9:00 PM	Evening Activities

	Wednesday, May 13
6:00 AM - 7:30 AM	Morning Walk/Run
7:30 AM - 8:50 AM	Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:50 AM	Plenary
9:50 AM - 10:00 AM	Break
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM	Breakout Sessions (1 - 4)
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM	Plenary
11:50 AM - 12:00 PM	Closing