"Philmanac - A Trekkers Guide to the Philmont Backcountry," by Rock Rohrbacher. Available from the Tooth of Time Traders at Philmont
Type: Trail, starting camp
water source: well
elevation: 7,040 ft
campsites:2
Nearest Staff camp: Ponil
McBride Canyon Camp was named for the Justice of the Peace whose house was burned in Elizabethtown in 1870 and who was involved in the Colfax County war. The camp is located about 1/3 the way up McBride Canyon from the Middle Ponil Canyon. It was first used in 1989. It has been used as a starting camp, with crews being dropped off at Six mile gate.
Type of camp: Staff
water source: purified
elevation: 7,200 ft
campsites: 16
Facilities: Cantina, Commissary, Showers, Trading Post
Ponil was the original base camp for the Philturn Rocky Mountain Scout Camp which was the forerunner of Philmont and operated for three summers--1939-1941. Ponil was named after the Apache Plume. This knee high bushy plant has five points just as 5 canyons converge at this point--South Ponil, Horse, Cedar, and both ends of the Middle Ponil Canyon. Initially this site was referred to as Five Points. The Cimarron and Northwest Railroad ran right through the present day Ponil directly in front of the longhouse (cantina & trading post). This railroad ran from 1907-1928 and was used mainly for hauling timber from the Philmont's north country for mine props in the coal mines around Raton and Dawson.
The traditional program at Ponil has been horseback riding, and western lore. Ponil was also the site of Philmont's first rock climbing program from 1967-1971. It is also home to a commissary and the cantina which was started in 1977. A chuckwagon supper was started at Ponil in 1990. A pancake breakfast was added for crews in 1996. A fishing program was established in the summer of 1997 operating out of Bent Cabin, the northern most cabin at Ponil. There has also been a campfire or cantina show offered some summers.
Ponil has more cabins than any other staff camp on Philmont, about a dozen in all, some dating back to the Philturn period. A favorite camping spot at that time was Stony Point, which was located just southeast of Hart Peak ( 7,968 ft). Pictures of early Ponil and Stony Point can be seen inside the Ponil Trading post. The road that runs through Ponil is New Mexico highway 204, it stops at the entrance to the Barker Wildlife area.
Type of camp: staff
Water source: stream, Middle Ponil creek
Elevation: 7,793 ft
campsites: Leave no trace camping
facilities: commissary
Rich Cabins is located on the WS Ranch (Vermejo Park). The Vermejo Park Club organized in 1926, contained 200,000 acres of the original Beaubien-Miranda Land Grant accepted as members only "men worth knowing". Those considered worthy included Cecil B. MeMille, Harvey Firestone, Douglas Fairbanks, Herbert Hoover, Mary Pickford, and Andrew Mellon. the Club disbanded during the Great Depression and the land reverted to ranching for several years. Then in the late 1940's Forth Worth industrialist W.J. Gourley purchased the Vermejo Park property and surrounding lands, totaling almost 500,000 acres. He enlarged the elk herd by buying several hundred head from Yellowstone National Park.
This is a section of the Vermejo Park that stands between Philmont and the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest. Ted Turner became the owner of the vast WS ranch in 1996, purchasing it from Pennzoil. Pennezoil had purchased the ranch in 1973 for $28 million. Philmont was permitted to use the long vacant
cabins as a staff camp beginning in the summer of 1992 in return for some upkeep on the buildings.
Type of camp: trail
Water source: stream, Middle Ponil Creek
elevation: 8,300 ft
Nearest staff camp: Rich Cabins
Greenwood Canyon Camp is in the Valle Vidal Unit of the Carson National Forest. It is located along the Middle Fork of the Ponil Creek about 2 hiking hours north of Rich Cabins. It was first used by regular Philmont expeditions in 1992.
Type of camp: trail
Water source: spring
Elevation: 10,480
Campsites: 14
Nearest staff camp: French Henry
Copper Park derives its name from the large amount of blue-green copper float which is visible in this very high mountain meadow. The water for Copper Park Camp comes from a pipe leading out of the legendary Deep Tunnel Mine which operated through Old Baldy in search of the "mother lode" of gold. The tunnel was completed, but no significant amounts of gold were ever located. An old cabin from this mining operation can still be seen just above Copper Park Camp and can be reached from the trail that leads up Old Baldy.
The trail up to the French Henry Mine starts along the very northeast part of the meadow and heads east to where French's cabin is located. There is another cabin that is often overlooked just along the ridges and complete the Baldy Historical Trail which was used in the anniversary years of 1988 and 1989. To find the plane wreck in 1988 that killed two civilians flying an old army plane from Goodland, Kansas to Phoenix, Arizona. The hike from Copper Park to the top of Old Baldy is steep and quite challenging.
The hike from French Henry Camp is also quite difficult and is known as "The Wall". Copper Park is truly one of the best trail camps on Philmont and is worth the struggle to reach it.
Type of Camp: Trail, camp has been inactive for years
Water source: none
Elevation: 9,140 ft
Nearest staff camp: Head of Dean
Baldy Skyline Camp is located between Ewells Park and Head of Dean. It is located along the Baldy Skyline which offers great views towards Old Baldy as well as towards Ute Park. It is a dry camp and has not been used in years. This camp is being reactivated for this year.
Type of Camp: Trail
Water source: spring
Elevation: 7,600 ft
campsites: 8
Nearest Staff camp: Santa Claus
Visto Grande is Spanish for Magnificent view. It was originally called Bench Camp. Its name was changed in the summer of 1975, to avoid confusion with nearby Upper Bench Camp. In 1947, while stationed as a ranger at the Bench Camp, Staff member John Westfall wrote the Philmont hymn. "Purple mountains rise against an azure sky" represented the view at Visto Grande camp as the sun sets over Old Baldy. There is still remains of an old cabin here that was used in the early years. The spring at Visto Grande is the water source.
Type of Camp: used for special programs
Water source: stream, Cimarroncito Creek
Elevation: 7,760 ft
The Hunting Lodge is the site of Waite Phillips Hunting Lodge. A renovation of the Hunting Lodge was completed in the fall of 1995. It is located just north of the Cimarroncito Reservoir. It is now used by PTC and for various staff functions. The original Cito base camp was at the Hunting Lodge and the remains can still be seen on both sides of the road. The camp was moved to its present location in the late 1940's at the request of the Village of Cimarron who thought it was to close to their water supply. For almost sixty years, the water flowed down to Cimarron through wooden pipes bound by wire. After surviving the 1965 flood, the wooden sections were replaced in 1970. Wooden sections are still visible between the dam and Cathedral Rock Camp. Old timers still refer to this as the Cito Hunting Lodge.
There are new trails built throughout this area connecting Cito, Clarks, and Cathedral Rock Camp so that it is unnecessary to do any hiking on the jeep trails. The Hunting Lodge is located very close to the trail leading to Hidden Valley and Window Rock as well as across from the trail that leads up the Middle Fork of the Cimarroncito Creek heading towards Cyphers Mine. Both of these hikes are worth the trip. A plaque was placed at the Hunting Lodge in 1995 to commemorate the Philmont Hymn which had been written by staff member John Westfall in 1947.
Type of Camp: Trail
Water Source: none
Elevation: 8,280 ft
Campsites: 14
Nearest staff camp: Base Camp
Tooth Ridge is a popular trail camp to stay at for the last night on the trail because of its close proximity to Base Camp. Tooth Ridge is a dry camp and it is a short downhill hike from the Tooth of Time. Tooth Ridge is so close to Base Camp the crews can almost hear the closing campfire a night early.
Basecamp...hot showers, ice cream and cots to sleep on!!!!