What To Expect at Philmont

In late Spring before your expedition starts, you will have chosen one of 35 different itineraries to complete at Philmont. Your itinerary defines which of the 100+ camps at Philmont you stop each night of your 12-day expedition.
Arrive at Philmont Camping HQ between 8AM and 11AM on the day your expedition starts. Your expedition begins with lunch on the first day (Day 1).
During Day 1 you'll meet your ranger — the Philmont professional who teaches you everything you need to have a successful trek. You'll also handle all the administrative activities to get on the trail: check out equipment, get food for the first few days on the trail, go through medical checks, and meet with logistics for the latest trail conditions. Day 1 ends with a welcome campfire and you sleep at Camping HQ.
On Day 2, you leave for the trail. Your crew and your ranger catch a school bus from Base Camp to one of the trailheads at a pre-scheduled time. For that day, your ranger will guide you (train you) in how to succeed on a Philmont expedition. Sleep that night in your first back-country camp.
On Day 3, you continue traveling with your ranger — but now your crew is doing the heavy lifting and the ranger is observing to make sure you're ready to continue on your own. At the end of Day 3 — and every night until Day 12 — you again sleep in a back-country camp.
Day 4 is time to say goodbye to your ranger — she's taught you everything you need to succeed in your expedition. Your ranger typically leaves after breakfast — they have another crew to train tomorrow.
Day 4 through Day 11 you continue the adventure on your own. Each night you sleep in the camp designated by your itinerary. How you get from one camp to the next is pretty much up to you — that's what this website is for. Every 3 or 4 days you'll pass by a food pickup and get more food for your crew.
On Day 12, after breaking camp, you hike (or catch a school bus) into Camping HQ, check back into civilization, and enjoy a few hours of showers and non-trail food. That night you enjoy the farewell campfire and sleep on a cot at Camping HQ.
Finally, on the morning of Day 13, after breakfast, you leave Philmont — until next time...