On this Page:This strategy has been developed from the perspective of public partnership organizations who have taken on a stewardship role for an historic trail. It does not reflect the perspectives of the agencies responsible for oversight.
Met Manuals
The Oregon-California Trails Association has several ongoing programs dedicated to reseraching and preserving emigrant trails.The Fifth Edition of Mapping Emigrant Trails released October 1, 2014 reflects continued upgrading of the guidelines and procedures on locating, verifying, classifying and plotting emigrant trails. A wire-bound copy with protective covers may be purchased from the OCTA bookstore for $10 by members and $20 for non-members.
- MET Manual Edition 5 Cover
- Preface and Introduction
- Part A Investigative Procedures & Trail Classifications
- Part B GPS and Mapping Software
- Part C Planning and Executing a Mapping Project
- Part D Setting Classifications
- Part E Photo Documentation of Trails
- Appendix 1 Documentary Sources for Overland Trails
- Appendix 2 Examples of the Composite Trail Description Method
- Appendix 3 Public Land Survey System
- Appendix 4 Trail Terminology
- Appendix 5 Plotting on USGS Topographic Maps
- Appendix 6 NHT Condition Category Definitions
- Appendix 7 Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Grid
- Appendix 8 Internet Map Sources
- Appendix 9 OCTA Policies
- Appendix 10 Artifact Research/Identification Resources
- Appendix 11 Artifact Recording Forms
- Appendix 12 Using and Plotting Magnetic Compass Directions
- Appendix 13 Terrain Navigator Pro Basics
Training Briefs
OCTA hereby affirms its commitment to protect the emigrant trails. Furthermore, OCTA is committed to work with government agencies and private interests to seek solutions considering the interests of all involved parties. Where reasonable compromise is not attainable or established procedures are not followed, OCTA may take appropriate legal steps.
- Introduction
- Trail Monitoring
- Mapping Emigrant Trails
- Trail Classifications
- GPS & Mapping Software
- Trail Marking
- Trail Marking Policy
- Preservation Basics
Terrain Navigator Pro
Trimble, the maker of Terrain Navigator mapping products, is making Terrain Navigator Pro (TNP) available to OCTA members for $299 per state. Annual subscriptions to update maps and photos are $124 for each state. Each state package contains all of the USGS topographic maps in that state for 1:250,000, 1:100,000, and 1:24,000 scales. Visit the Terrain Navigator website for further details. Contact OCTA for special pricing.