Explore the history of the American frontier west from the pioneers and Indians who led the way, to covered wagons, cattle and cowboys who followed later.

Encompassing the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, the Applegate Trail and the Mormon Trail, the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA) seeks to preserve the stories and the legacy of the 19th century American migration.

Our mission is to protect the Historic Emigrant Trails legacy by promoting research, education, preservation activities and public awareness of the trails, and to work with others to promote these causes. More about OCTA ...

OCTA's New Documentary Film

Historic Trails Learning Center

Genealogy Pioneers wrote of their travels to Oregon, California, Utah, Montana, and other western locations in diaries, letters, remembrances, and newspaper articles. These accounts have survived in libraries and private collections. » Research genealogy and ancestry at Paper-Trail.org

Publications As part of its mission to promote education about the westward emigrant trails, OCTA invests a lot of its energy and resources to produce a wide-ranging set of quality publications. » News from the Plains » Overland Journal

Special thanks to OCTA Corporate & Institutional Members