The Philmont Scout Ranch offers three SND-related activities next summer:
- Zia Trek: a 7-day Philmont back-country trek for Scouts with special needs.
- Zia Family Experience: a week-long Philmont experience to Scouts with disabilities and their families.
- Adaptive Outdoor Conference: strategies for adult leaders to support Scouts with special needs and disabilities.
Philmont is located in the rugged wilderness of the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains in northeastern New Mexico. The conference and the family experience are based in the Philmont Training Center, which provides a comfortable tent camping experience and a dining hall for participants. Family members, both adult and youth, may attend and take part in age-appropriate activities that take advantage of Philmont’s unique resources.
The Zia Trek is a 7-day Philmont back-country trek tailored for Scouts with special needs. While many Scouts with special needs may be able to participate in a Philmont trek with their troop or other unit, some special needs can’t be met in a typical trek. Scouts in this situation may be eligible to join a Zia trek, together with a support buddy.
Click on the button below for further information about the Zia Trek and for registration.This trek is becoming an annual event with two dates scheduled for each of the 2025 and 2026 summer seasons:
| June 21-28, 2025 | July 12-19, 2025 | June 20-27, 2026 | July 11-18, 2026 |
When: June 22-25, 2025
The annual Zia Family Experience provides accessible Philmont experiences to Scouts with disabilities and their families. Parents and caregivers of Scouts with special needs mustn’t overlook this opportunity!
Our team of Philmont staff and highly trained volunteers will work with a wide-range of functioning and abilities, from low-functioning to high-functioning. The range includes Scouts who have physical, intellectual, emotional, and/or hidden disabilities. Scouts who are verbal and nonverbal, as well as toilet-trained and untrained will be welcomed.
Our team will finalize program registration long before the experience begins, so that parents/caregivers and Scouts can meet in-person, via video conference, or phone call with our leadership team one or more times before arrival. The goal of these pre-experience conversations will be to understand the type of experience your Scout wants to have, as well as his or her abilities, special needs, special health care challenges, medications, allergies, diet restrictions, housing and personal care needs, transportation and mobility issues, advancement goals, and other associated risk management issues. The goal is to design experiences for Scouts ranging from a backcountry trek, to modified backcountry day adventures, to a basic residential camp experience in base camp.
To make sure we are able to give each family the best experience possible, families will apply to participate and we will reach out to you to discuss what your specific needs will be and help create a positive Philmont experience with you. Click the button below to sign up, no obligation!
When: June 22-25, 2025
The annual Adaptive Outdoor Conference is open to anyone who wants to learn more about supporting Scouts with special needs and disabilities.
This national training spends a week learning best practices working with Scouts with special needs or disabilities, their families, units, districts and councils across all programs. Participants will get the hands-on opportunity to work with Scouts and their families attending the Zia Family Experience, and visit various Philmont program areas. Other topics included this year will include how to expand your district or council committee through relationships, and ways to include more individuals with special needs in Scouting.
Able Scouts 
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