Silver Moccasin Trail, National Recreation Trail in Los Angeles County, US.

The Silver Moccasin Trail is a hiking route through the San Gabriel Mountains spanning 53 miles from Chantry Flat to Vincent Gap on Angeles Crest Highway. The path features multiple entry points, campgrounds, and junctions with other forest trails while climbing to 9,399 feet at Mount Baden-Powell.

The route originated from Native American paths through the San Gabriel Mountains before the Los Angeles Area Council of Boy Scouts established it as an official trail in 1942. This Scout connection has defined the path ever since.

The name comes from the Silver Moccasins Award, given by the Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America to Scouts who complete the full hike, usually over several days. Hiking troops often walk it as a five-day backpack trip. Near the summit of Mount Baden-Powell, several Southern California Scout councils have placed a monument to their founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell.

The full route runs 53 miles from Chantry Flat to Vincent Gap, but shorter sections of 8 to 10 miles still reach the Baden-Powell summit with about 5,000 feet of climbing. Alternate trailheads exist partly because Chantry Flat became overcrowded. The climb between 8,000 and 9,000 feet can bring mild altitude sickness, so allow time to acclimatise.

The trail passes through distinct ecological zones with dramatic elevation shifts, moving from dry chaparral slopes to dense pine forests within hours of hiking. This variety of landscapes over a short distance is uncommon in Southern California.