Photo by Madelynne Scales Lights in the Mountains By John Youngdale Tales of paranormal activity that occur at the ranch. From the spirits of miners working for eternity in the north country to the orbs, phantoms, and strange creatures that roam around Urraca Mesa to the south, the number of supernatural sightings cannot be purely […]
Philmont Scout Ranch Awarded the Outdoor Equity Fund grant from the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Outdoor Recreation Division for New SEEDS Program New program will connect rural New Mexico high school students with conservation, outdoor adventure, and natural resource careers September 24, 2026 CIMARRON, N.M. – Philmont Scout Ranch has been awarded a $99,072 Outdoor […]
Photos By Brendan Cox The Tooth of Time Traders Having Your Back on the Trail By Heidi Wakefield In 2016, my brother started his 716X trek with my dad and their crew of five. After several days on trail, carrying the extra weight of a fellow Scout’s pack, his shoes began to give out, causing […]
Photo by Matt Stepp From Trees to Trails: Scout-Focused Conservation By Heidi Wakefield Environmental Educators take John Dewey’s words seriously on the ranch, using play-based, outdoor–classroom-style teaching methods. Founded in 1971, Philmont’s Conservation Department follows that philosophy through trail maintenance, forest management, stream restoration, and unconventional projects such as restoring backcountry burial grounds. In 1943, […]
Photo By Elena Scherry Photo By Erin Stahmer Farming on the Ranch By John Youngdale There is a reason Philmont is called a scout ranch and not a camp or reserve. One of the conditions Waite Phillips gave to Scouting America when he donated the land that would become Philmont was that the property had […]
Photo By Matt Stepp “We Take Care of Them Because They Take Care of Us” A Closer Look into Life as a Wrangler By Urvi Thakker Tyler Thompson, his left hand tightly wrapped in a bandage as he works in the paddock, is a first-year wrangler at Philmont Scout Ranch. The wranglers at the Ranching […]
Photo by Truman Attaway Gone Fishing? Heidi Wakefield Do you like fish? Do you often find yourself nodding along, hoping your co-worker will stop talking so you can head out to the reservoir? Are you planning on fishing in the backcountry this summer? Here is everything you need to know!First, make sure you have two […]
Photos by Isaiah Mitchell PSA honors Julie Puckett as the Silver Sage Recipient Heidi Wakefield As the sun sank below the Tooth of Time on the evening of May 29th, and seasonal staff gathered for Philmont’s opening Campfire, Julie Phillips Puckett, granddaughter of Waite Phillips, received the Silver Sage Award for her dedication to serving […]
Family is here. Time to play! Text by Kate Warrick; photographs by Kate Warrick. This year, my family visited Philmont as part of the Family Adventure Camp program. My sister Bonnie registered two adults and three kids for the daily family pass at the Philmont Training Center (PTC). Signing up for 3 days of action-packed […]
Philmont’s Commissary By Heidi Wakefield and Derek Shiney One thing everyone at Philmont has in common, but typically does not think about, is that everyone needs to eat, especially when exerting so much energy on the trail. Food is essential, always, but at Philmont, it is not so easily accessible, or at least it wouldn’t […]