Scouts and advisors at Philmont enjoy getting mail and "care packages" from home. There are two times when crews can receive mail - before they hit the trail, and after they return to base camp upon completion of their trek. Philmont is located in a remote rural area, and mail service can be a bit slow. 

 

If you'd like your crew member to receive a letter or package before they go into the backcountry, you'll want to mail it 8-10 days before their trek begins.  If you want them to receive their mail when they finish their trek, mail it shortly after they begin their trek.  Here is the address:

 

Name of Crew Member

Expedition Number (see "Policies & Admin" page)

Philmont Scout Ranch

47 Caballo Rd.

Cimarron, NM  87714

 

(575) 376-2281  Telephone calls are restricted to extreme emergencies only. It may take hours, or longer, for a crew member to be contacted in the 215 square miles of rugged mountain wilderness and transported to a phone.

 

Cell phone service in Philmont is limited. There are pay phones available at Philmont for those with calling cards, but they are limited and lines can be long.  Since time in base camp is structured, most people don't have time to stand in line for these calls. Once crews are in the backcountry, there are no payphones, and cell phone service is only possible at the top of peaks, and then it's iffy. Please don't instruct your scout or scouter to "make sure to call" when they get to Philmont, or during their trek.  Chances are they'll be unable to call, which will cause stress to you and them.  Assume you'll hear from your Philmont crew members when they are in the vicinity of the airport, and no other times, to avoid disappointment. 

 

Each evening at 7PM, Philmont offers services in the four chapels at base camp - Protestant, Catholic, LDS, and Jewish - through the Philmont Chaplaincy. All participants are expected to attend daily service while in base camp. Catholic scouts are granted a special dispensation by the Archbishop of Santa Fe, allowing their pre-trek service in base camp to compensate for missing Sunday Mass in the backcountry during their trek.