Philmont Scout Ranch is the BSA's premier High Adventure base. Owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America, Philmont challenges Scouts and Venturers with more than 200 square miles of rugged New Mexico mountain wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rockies, with elevations ranging from 6,600 to 12,441 feet. Nearly 100 staffed and trail camps are connected by more than 330 miles of challenging trails. Backpacking treks, horseback cavalcades, and training and service programs offer young people many ways to experience this legendary country.

Born in 1938 as Philturn Rocky Mountain Scout Camp, with a gift from Oklahoma oilman Waite Phillips, today's Philmont Scout Ranch is a bustling center for High Adventure and Training. Youth and adults take advantage of the Ranch's camping, training, and work programs. Most activity takes place during the summer, but Philmont also offers fall and winter programs.

Nearly 1 million Scouts, Venturers, and leaders have experienced the adventure of Philmont since the first camping season in 1939. Throughout its existence, conscientious attention to low-impact camping techniques have helped maintain the Ranch's wilderness flavor.

The area surrounding the Ranch is rich with history, from the American Indians who made this arid land their home to the land barons of the 19th century. The town of Cimarron boasts a number of historical buildings, including the St. James Hotel, site of at least 26 killings during Cimarron's wilder days.