2025 Colorado Open Space Alliance Conference
October 6–8, 2025
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Celebrating Stories of Open Space: 25 Years of Conservation and Connections

COSA continues to partner with the Rocky Mountain Ranger Association and the National Association of Interpretation Four Corners Region to bring you an amazing line-up of conference sessions and keynote speakers. Offsite field trips and a 25th conference anniversary celebration featuring Mountainfilm on Tour will make COSA’s 25th conference its best yet!
Registration opens in early July.
Hotel Accommodations
Discounted rates are available at The Steamboat Grand.
Scholarships
Scholarships will be awarded to cover the registration costs for the 2025 conference. The application deadline is June 26.
Sponsors
COSA is seeking sponsors for the 2025 conference! Reach open space professionals and get acknowledged in a variety of ways.
Keynote Speakers
Christopher Preston
Christopher Preston is an award-winning author, environmental philosopher, public speaker, and clean energy enthusiast based in Missoula, Montana. Christopher grew up on the white cliffs of England’s south coast and moved to Colorado at age 22 to pursue a graduate degree from Colorado State University. While in the United States, he fell in love with the giant landscapes, wildlife, and wildlands of Alaska. Christoper is a accomplished writer and his most recent work, Tenacious Beasts, won the 2024 High Plains Book Award for non-fiction and was included in The New Yorker’s ‘Best Books of 2023.’ Christopher will share his experiences researching recoveries across the globe and the lessons that open space agencies can learn from these success stories.
Marcus Robinson
Marcus Robinson is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ride for Racial Justice, a Colorado-based organization whose mission is to ensure access to resources, education, and community for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) cyclists and to dismantle systemic racism. Through advocacy and lobbying, Ride for Racial Justice works to enhance BIPOC leadership, voices, experiences, community and infrastructure in cycling, from global brand to local events. Marcus came to Colorado as an infant and like many kids, Marcus was lucky to have a bike growing up. That sense of freedom and joy is still a driving force for him today. Marcus attended Denver East High School and Colorado State University. Marcus will share his insights on equity and the outdoors and how open space agencies can ensure our parks and trails are welcoming, equitable spaces.
Presented by the Colorado Lottery and Great Outdoors Colorado.
Mountainfilm on Tour is coming to COSA!
The tour will be featured at the COSA Conference in Grand Junction during the annual networking event at the historic Avalon Theater on Monday, September 30.
Mountainfilm on Tour brings a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed, and incredibly inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado. The tour includes films that explore themes connected to Mountainfilm’s mission of using the power of film, art, and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. Tickets to Mountainfilm on Tour are included in full conference registrations and will be available to COSA guests at an additional cost.
Questions
Do you need help or have questions about the conference?
Email: COSA@iplanitmeetings.com
Phone: (800) 781-1193 ext 2
Chat: Use the chat in the bottom right corner of the registration page.
Scholarships
COSA will award two scholarships to cover the registration costs for the conference. This award is made possible by our sponsors. COSA will also award one full scholarship that includes registration costs and lodging.
Sponsors
COSA is seeking sponsors for the 2023 conference! Reach open space professionals and get acknowledged in a variety of ways.
Now Accepting Session Proposals
The theme for the 2023 conference is From Legacy to Lasting Impact. All proposals will be considered, but preference will be given to proposals that address topics of legacy and forward thinking.
Hotel Accommodations
Viewline Resort Snowmass
100 Elbert Lane, Snowmass Villiage, Colorado
970-742-0005
Starting at $149/night
Last day to book at the discounted rate is Friday, Sept. 1.
Tax Exemption Information: Each guest is required to provide their individual tax exempt certificates to the Viewline Resort Snowmass prior to arrival. Email your tax certificate to Group.Reservations@ViewlineResortSnowmass.com. The hotel must have one certificate on file for each paying guest.
Colorado Open Space Alliance Conference
"Renew, Recharge, Reconnect"
September 19-21, 2022
Elevations Hotel and Spa
Crested Butte, Colorado
Sorry, but the conference is SOLD OUT and our waitlist has reached capacity.
Registration Tips
- Make sure the select the correct ticket type if you want to attend the networking event on Tuesday night (the networking event is an additional $25).
- Select your sessions after choosing your ticket type.
- Open the event schedule in another widow to reference session descriptions during registration.
- Certain field trips have an additional fee. A separate invoice will be sent.
- You can change your sessions after registration if needed using the attendee portal.
Networking Event
Everyone is invited to attend the networking event on Tuesday. Tickets are $25 and need to be purchased for each guest or conference attendee who did not register using a ticket with the networking event option.
Purchase Networking Event Ticket
Hotel Reservations
Elevations Hotel SOLD OUT
Unfortunately the Elevations Hotel is completely sold out of rooms. Please try reserving a room at the Grand Lodge.
Grand Lodge
The Grand Lodge is only a two minute walk to the conference and COSA registrants are guaranteed their lowest rate of $126/night + $20 resort fee. $49 is due at time of booking, with 100% due 7 days before arrival. All payments are non-refundable. Parking is free.
Please call 855-332-1601 option 1, then option 7 any day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to get the group rate.
Other Lodging Options
- Lodge at Mountaineer Square, next door, condo style rooms, (970) 349-4000
- Plaza, next door, condo style rooms, (970) 349-2900
- Nordic Inn, 10 min walk, (970) 349-5542
Sponsors
COSA is seeking sponsors for the 2022 conference! Reach open space professionals and get acknowledged in a variety of ways.
Conference App

Download Attendify and search "COSA" to access the conference.
Don’t want to download the app? You can still see all the features using the Web App.
Registration Now Open
Registration for the 2021 conference is now open!
Now Accepting Session Proposals
The theme for the 2021 conference is Expect the Unexpected: Building Resilience to Adapt to Change. All proposals will be considered, but preference will be given to proposals that address the theme of resilience.
The deadline to submit proposals for the 2021 conference is Friday, May 14.
Keynote Speakers
Nina Simon
Nina is author of the best-selling books "The Participatory Museum" and "The Art of Relevance."
Learn more about Nina →
Lori Weigel
Lori is the Principal of New Bridge Strategy, a research firm based in Colorado.
Learn more about Lori→
Agenda & Session Presentation Files
- Conference Agenda
- Creating a Collaborative Future for Open Space Rangers
- Developing a Resiliency Framework for Jefferson County Open Space: Meeting the Mission by Managing for Future Uncertainty
- Filling the Ranger Void: How small agencies can provide vital services without a ranger program
- Goldsmith Gulch: Using Contemporary Design to Restore a Healthy Channel
- Nature Play Design Guidelines
Registration Now Open
Registration for the 2018 conference is now open!
Hotel Accommodations
Steamboat Grand Hotel
2300 Mt Werner Cir, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
970-871-5500
Starting at $100/night
Book Room
- Agenda & Presenters (great if you can't get the Eventzilla app to work)
- Pre-Arrival Message
- Agenda Overview
- Session Room Assignments


Networking Event
Everyone is invited to attend the networking event on Tuesday. Tickets are $25 and need to be purchased for each guest or conference attendee who did not register using a ticket with the networking event option. Purchase Networking Event TicketHotel Reservations
Elevations Hotel SOLD OUT
Unfortunately the Elevations Hotel is completely sold out of rooms. Please try reserving a room at the Grand Lodge.Grand Lodge
The Grand Lodge is only a two minute walk to the conference and COSA registrants are guaranteed their lowest rate of $126/night + $20 resort fee. $49 is due at time of booking, with 100% due 7 days before arrival. All payments are non-refundable. Parking is free. Please call 855-332-1601 option 1, then option 7 any day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to get the group rate.Other Lodging Options
- Lodge at Mountaineer Square, next door, condo style rooms, (970) 349-4000
- Plaza, next door, condo style rooms, (970) 349-2900
- Nordic Inn, 10 min walk, (970) 349-5542
Sponsors
COSA is seeking sponsors for the 2022 conference! Reach open space professionals and get acknowledged in a variety of ways. Sponsorship DetailsScholarships
COSA will award several scholarships to cover the registration costs for the 2022 conference. This award is made possible by our sponsors. ScholarshipsSponsors
A huge thanks to all of our sponsors! Please show them your support.
Bronze
Kriste Peoples
Kriste Peoples is a Denver-based outdoor enthusiast and guide, runner, writer, and mindfulness meditation teacher. She serves as the Executive Director of Women's Wilderness, a Boulder-based nonprofit offering transformational experiences that cultivate a greater sense of agency, community, and engagement in nature among women, girls, and nonbinary people. As a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher, she brings her sense of adventure and curiosity to the inward journey of self-discovery. In her downtime, she's committed to finding an easy alternative to popcorn ceilings.