Philmont Scout Ranch | |||
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Black Bull, symbol of Philmont
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Owner | Boy Scouts of America | ||
Location | Cimarron, New Mexico | ||
Country | United States | ||
Coordinates | 36°27′15″N 104°57′21″W / 36.45417°N 104.95583°WCoordinates: 36°27′15″N 104°57′21″W / 36.45417°N 104.95583°W | ||
Founded | 1938 | ||
Founder | Waite Phillips | ||
Attendance | 35,054 campers (2013) | ||
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Website Philmont Scout Ranch |
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Philmont Scout Ranch is a large, rugged, mountainous ranch located near the town of Cimarron, New Mexico, covering 140,177 acres (219 sq mi; 567 km²) of wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico. The ranch, formerly the property of oil baron Waite Phillips and now that of the Boy Scouts of America, is a National High Adventure Base in which crews of Scouts and Venturers take part in backpacking expeditions and other outdoor activities. It is one of the largest youth camps in the world in land area. Between June 8 and August 22 around 22,000 Scouts and adult leaders backpack across the Ranch's extensive backcountry while over 1,130 seasonal staff personnel maintain the Ranch's summer operations.
Philmont is also home to the Philmont Training Center and the Seton Museum. The Training Center is the primary location for BSA's national volunteer training programs. Philmont is also operated as a ranch, maintaining small herds of cattle, horses, burros and bison.
The only documented Tyrannosaurus rex track in the world was discovered within the camp's boundaries in 1993 in North Ponil Canyon by the Anasazi Trail Camp. It was formally identified in 1994.
Philmont is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. The closest village is Cimarron, New Mexico. The address of the ranch is usually given as 17 Deer Run Rd., Cimarron, New Mexico, 87714. It is also about 20 miles (32 km) west-northwest of Springer, New Mexico, and 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Raton, New Mexico. Philmont is about 12 miles (19 km) across (east to west) at its widest point, and about 30 miles (48 km) long (north to south). There are no mountains to the south or east of Philmont. The interior of the ranch is mountainous but a small part of the eastern area is prairie.