PTC FAQ

Wi-Fi is offered in all meeting spaces at the Philmont Training Center.  

Connectivity to the Internet is not provided by Philmont in the backcountry. Cell phone reception is varied and should not be planned on.

An AT&T cell tower is located near the PTC (and most carriers have some signal). Incoming messages to the Training Center Office (575-376-2281) are delivered to your tent city staff as soon as possible. Faxing services are not available. 

Cell phone reception in Philmont’s backcountry is varied and should not be planned on. 

If you or a member of your family has special dietary requirements, please let Philmont know in advance either through the registration process or by emailing Philmont.TrainingCenter@scouting.org. Philmont’s isolated location limits the availability of many specialized or kosher food items and these items may need to be brought from home.

Philmont’s food service can accommodate Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, and no nuts diets.

Meals are varied, and there is always a salad/fruit bar, cereal with milk, and peanut butter and jelly available for sandwiches. Refrigeration is available in your housing unit or tent city office for infant formula or medications.

Many ask about Philmont patches. The familiar Arrowhead patch is awarded to those who complete a full backcountry trek or Mountain Trek and satisfy other requirements.

You will receive a special patch as part of your check out packet to recognize your participation in one of the Philmont Training Center programs! Other unique Philmont patches can be purchased at the Tooth of Time Traders. 

The Philmont Training Center does not offer classes or special programs to earn merit badges. However, if you feel something your Scout has done could work towards a Merit Badge, we would be more than happy to provide information about what the Scout has done.

Note: It will be up to your Scoutmaster/Merit Badge Counselor to decide if a PTC experience can or will apply. 

If you have a participant in the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience or Philmont Leadership Challenge, their check-in begins at 8:00am Sunday. Only families with one of these programs’ participants or an early arriving Philmont shuttle rider may arrive early to the Philmont Training Center. If you are planning or would like to arrive a day early, lodging is available in nearby Cimarron or you can use our overnight accomodation link to reserve housing and meals at PTC.. 

You are not able to pitch your own tent at the PTC during our summer program months. Special approval is required for a non-summer month program. 

We have both wheelchair accessible terrace tents and a limited amount of ADA roofed housing. If you have special requests or questions, please contact the Training Center. Our Luxury Deluxe Tents are not ADA accessible. 

Yes, we will do our best! Please specify your request if you and your spouse have separate registrations or use different last names. 

Yes, we do our best to keep families close to each other. Please specify any special requests in your registration information. 

Refrigerators are available in the Tent City Offices for Terrace Tent and Deluxe Tent communal use; each roofed housing option has a private small refrigerator.

Families staying in the Terrace Tents will need to bring their own bedding and linens for their stay unless a Bed-in-a-Box was rented during online registration. Families that choose to upgrade their housing to the Luxury Deluxe Tents, Lodge Rooms, or Villa Bungalows will have bedding and linens provided by Philmont.

Daily housekeeping services will not be provided in the upgraded luxury deluxe tents or roofed housing options for the duration of your stay. 

Parking is available at the Philmont Training Center for RV’s, campers, and trailers, but electrical, sewer or water hookups are not available, and no cooking is allowed within RV’s that are in the parking area.  Participants with RV’s will be assigned tents and are expected to reside in these tents throughout the week.  We ask that you do not utilize the tent electricity for your RV. There are two RV campgrounds in Cimarron if you wish to stay in your RV. 

There is a shuttle bus that leaves from the Welcome Center at Camping Headquarters at specific times that goes back and forth to Cimarron, with a $5 per person round-trip fee. This service is only available during the summer months (June – August). 

It is $1.00 to wash a load of laundry.  $0.25 will dry a load of laundry for ten minutes, you can add additional quarters for an additional ten minutes of drying time. 

Living at Philmont for a week will be an outdoor adventure for the whole family! In choosing clothing and equipment, please keep in mind Philmont’s base camp elevation (6,600 ft.).

Located where the Great Plains meet the Southern Rockies in Northeastern New Mexico, Cimarron has a cool semi-arid climate.

Spring weather (March – May) can be especially windy and stormy. Spring storms may contain snow/ice and rain. Temperatures can range from low 20’s to highs in the mid-70’s.

Summer weather features cool nights and warm days with frequent thunderstorms. Typical temperatures for June-August are highs in the mid-80’s during the day and overnight lows in the upper 40’s to lower 50’s.

Afternoon thunderstorm activity typically increases in the months of July and August during monsoon season.

The Autumn months of September and October bring cooler temperatures. Daytime highs range in the 60-70’s and lows in the 30-40 range. Afternoon thunderstorm activity diminishes as cool, crisp Fall weather arrives. October brings the possibility of early snow, typically at higher elevations.

Snow storms are a possibility between mid-October through the end of May.

There are a number of things that you can do:

  1. Visit Cimarron and enjoy galleries, museums, and shops.
  2. Visit the Tooth of Time Traders located at Camping Headquarters.
  3. Visit the National Scouting Museum.
  4. Visit Philmont’s Kit Carson Museum at Rayado, located 7 miles south of PTC on Highway 21.

Please contact the Training Center if you know you will be late to check-in. PTC staff will assist you in arrival and late check-in procedures. 

BSA Family Adventure Camp: Very often! BSA Family Adventure Camp is designed to have families experience programs together! In fact, for all Philmont Family Adventure Camp activities, minors (under 18 years old) must be accompanied by at least one adult family member 18 years or older. We strongly recommend you make group decisions as a family with the goal of participating together.

Conference Youth Program: You will be able to see your child(ren) in the morning before program, during lunch (11:30am – 1:30pm) and in the afternoons after program ends at 4:30pm. During Wednesday Family afternoons, your child(ren) will be with you to participate in a fun program for everyone to enjoy the afternoon together.

NAYLE: Youth in NAYLE will be in the backcountry beginning Sunday through their departing Saturday. You will not see your child during this time. 

Wilderness First Aid is not required to attend Philmont Training Center Programs. Our staff facilitating activities are trained in Wilderness First Aid.

The iconic Philmont Landmark will only be available as an adventure activity option for 2020 Family Adventure Camp Full-Week participants and NAYLE participants! BSA Medicals parts A, B, and C will be required for this hike, and children must be 6 years or older to participate.

All other programs are unable to hike the Tooth of Time however, other hikes are available during Wednesday afternoons for Conference Attendees, Conference Youth, Backcountry Sneak Peak, and PLC participants. 

Please Note: All PTC hikes are Philmont staff-led. Hiking in Philmont’s backcountry without a Philmont staff member is not allowed.

Yes, please see the specifications below: 

NAYLE: BSA Medical Parts A, B, and C (which requires a doctor’s signature and height/weight restrictions) are required for each participant involved in any backcountry experience that involves a Tooth of Time hike or spending the night in the backcountry.

PLC: BSA Medical Parts A, B, and C (which requires a doctor’s signature and height/weight restrictions) are required for each participant involved in any backcountry experience that involves a Tooth of Time hike or spending the night in the backcountry.

BSA Family Adventure Camp: Participants must have filled out and completed BSA Medical Form Parts A and B to participate in the Family Adventure program. Some program activities, like our day-long backcountry hikes, are strenuous, and families should discuss abilities before arriving to program – learn more about specific program requirements in the Family Adventure Guidebook. Full-Week participants wishing to do the Tooth Hike will need BSA Medical Part C (which requires a doctor’s signature and height/weight restrictions).

Conference Attendee: BSA Medical Form Parts A and B are required for all conference attendees. These groups have limited hiking and backcountry time.

Conference Youth: BSA Medical Form Parts A and B are required for all conference youth – Small Fry, Bandits, Mustangs, and Trailblazers. These groups have limited hiking and backcountry time.

Under no circumstance will any individual over 295 lbs. be allowed to participate in backcountry programs, regardless of height or age. This limit is necessary due to the limitations of rescue equipment and for the safety of Philmont personnel.