Western Lore / Branding

Philmont is an operating western cattle ranch. Cowboys still watch over cattle on horseback and drive them from their winter pasture on the plains to high mountain meadows for summer grazing. While you hike the trails, look for the white-face Hereford cattle. Though not wild, they are best observed from a distance. A cow with a calf may become dangerous if she feels her calf is threatened. To chase or attempt to rope these animals is foolish and can result in serious injury. Watch and photograph them if you wish.

An organized western lore program is offered at Beaubien, Ponil and Clark's Fork. Horse riding, campfires, and branding are all part of the western lore program. Philmont cowboys will tell you about New Mexico's cattle industry. Using authentic western lariats, they will show you how to rope. The cowboy's garb and equipment will be named and their uses explained. After a hearty chuck wagon dinner which you help prepare, you'll gather around a campfire under the western sky for an evening of songs, guitar playing, and stories of the Old West at Beaubien or Clark's Fork.

Campsites offering this program: Ponil Clarks Fork Shaefers Pass Beaubien

Treks 12-2 12-4 12-8 12-9 12-10 12-18 12-20 12-22
7-1 7-3 7-4 7-5
9-2 9-5 9-6 9-10
take this program at Ponil