Silver Moccasins Trail Award patch

While I was in the Navy, on August 13-18, 1956 I went with a Boy Scout group from Los Angeles, California let by Jim Goldstein on the 53 mile Silver Moccasins Trail.

The Silver Moccasin Trail is one of several hiking award trails offered by the Los Angeles Council, Boy Scouts of America. The route varies from time to time as new roads are built; forest fires destroy areas, etc.

The trail starts on the fringes of the large Los Angeles metropolitan basin and proceeds to the ridge of the San Gabriel Mountains which it follows East. It ends shortly after the climb of Mt. Baden-Powell, named in honor of the founder of Scouting.

Most of the route is heavily developed and offers little real wilderness. One of the prettiest campsites was Little Jimmy Springs.

I earned The Silver Moccasins Hike Award in 1956

I earned The Silver Moccasins Hike Award in 1956

The Silver Moccasin Trail is a 53-mile trail located in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of Los Angeles. It begins at Chantry Flat Recreation Area above the city of Arcadia, California, traversing upward and down through several canyons and along the high ridges of the Angeles National Forest.

This trail connects Mt. Baden-Powell, Mount Burnham, Throop Peak and Mount Hawkins. It comes to its highest point of 9,399 feet at Mount Baden-Powell after which point it descends to its terminus at Vincent Gap on the Angeles Crest Highway near Wrightwood.

This Trail Route Map is from a brochure dated 1965.

The landscape of the Silver Moccasins Trail varies from lowland chaparral slopes, to oak-lined canyons, to the fir and pine forests of Mt. Baden-Powell, where several Southern California councils of the Boy Scouts of America have placed a monument to their founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell.

The Silver Moccasins Trail started as a series of Indian trails originally created by the local Native Americans (probably Tongva), but its use was continued by Anglo settlers who either hunted or hiked along its route.

In 1942, the Los Angeles Area Council of Boy Scouts established a designated route as the Silver Moccasins Trail, and any Scouts who complete the hike, usually involving several days travel, are qualified to receive the Silver Moccasins Award. Boy Scouts, especially those who are enrolled in "hiking troops," walk this trail usually as part of a five-day backpack trip.

The LA Area Council, BSA map that was printed before 1953 (has the name "Flores" in the corner) showed a 60 mile route. It started at the end of the Pacific Electric rail line at Grand View Avenue (6 miles from Chantry Flat). The trail ended at Camp Pepperdine (elevation 6150 ft elevation) near Jackson Lake.

The map identifies the six 7.5 minute USGS (1953-1959) topographic maps for the trail (Condor Peak, Chilao Flat, Mt. Wilson, Waterman Mtn, Crystal Lake, and Vaeyermo Quadrangles). The map showed the Mt Baden Powell summit as a short side trip off the main trail.

Alternate starting points, or trailheads, have been established for the SMT more than likely due to overuse or overcrowding at Chantry Flat, which has somewhat reduced the adventuresome attractiveness of the younger, less-traveled version.

However, sections of the trail which are only 8 miles to 10 miles in length while reaching the Baden-Powell summit qualify it as a 20-mile (flatland) hike due to gains in elevation which are about 5,000 feet. The Baden-Powell portions of the hike are also beneficial for acclimation to altitudes for beginning hikers who may experience mild altitude sickness between 8,000 feet and 9,000 feet.

Mount Baden-Powell Identification Plaque on the Baden-Powell Monument

Baden Powell Monument Dedication Plaque