There is a magic spell at Philmont. Long ago the Indians felt it. Later Kit Carson, Lucien Maxwell, and other mountain men were captivated by Philmont Country. A century later, the late Mr. Waite Phillips found himself under its spell. Nearly half a century ago, his son, Elliot, and his cousins found it almost a necessity to return to Philmont during their high school and college summer vacations.

Philmont is large, comprising 137,500 acres or about 215 square miles of rugged mountain wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains. Thirty-four staffed camps and seventy-one trail camps are operated by the ranch (four camps are in the national forest or on private land). Philmont has high mountains which dominate rough terrain with an elevation ranging from 6500 to 12,441 feet.

Philmont has a unique history of ancient Indians who chiseled writings into canyon walls....Spanish conquistadors who explored the Southwest long before the first colonists arrived on the Atlantic coast...the rugged breed of mountain men like Kit Carson who blazed trails across this land...the great land barons like Lucien Maxwell who built ranches along the Santa Fe Trail, and miners, 
loggers, and cowboys. All these people left their mark on Philmont.

Philmont is abundant in wildlife ~ deer, elk, coyote, antelope, mountain lion, buffalo, beaver, wild turkey, bear and others. Its hills and canyons teem with birds and its streams abound with fish. Its cool mountains harbor a wilderness of botany ~ trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses.

Philmont is rich in natural beauty, including the soaring Tooth of Time (a major landmark on the Santa Fe Trail). Sunrise from lofty Mount Phillips, the blue water of Cimarroncito reservoir, the panoramic sweep of the plains from Urraca Mesa, and sunlight filtering through aspen along the rippling Rayado.

Philmont provides an unforgettable adventure in sky-high backpacking country along hundreds of miles of rugged, rocky trails. Program features combine the best of the old West ~ horseback riding, burro packing, gold panning, black powder rifle shooting, chuck wagon dinners, and interpretive history, with exciting challenges for today ~ rock climbing, burro racing,

mountain biking and 30.06 rifle shooting ~ in an unbeatable recipe for fast-moving fun and outdoors.

Since the first camping season in 1939, more than 1,000,000 

campers and advisers have enjoyed trekking the back country trails of Philmont. In 1939 there were 196 participants, today between early June and late August around 22,800 Scouts and adult leaders backpack across the Ranch's extensive backcountry.

(excerpt from The Philmont Guidebook to Adventure)


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