Welcome to the Idaho Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association

We are a volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of emigrant trails which crossed the western United States to the Pacific Ocean from 1841–1869.

The IOCTA organization is dedicated to education about, preservation, and enjoyment of the emigrant trails through Idaho. Primary activities are trail marking in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and US Forest Service, and trail outings where knowledgeable members lead expeditions on trail segments. Planning and business meetings are held a few times a year.

Many of the members of IOCTA have a wealth of knowledge about the Oregon Trail. Some have spent many years exploring and researching the emigrant trails. Several are published authors of books about the trail.

All people interested in the history of the emigrant trails through Idaho are encouraged to participate. Come join us to share some history and build some friendships on the trails across Idaho! Outings are free and everyone is welcome.

Oregon-California Trails Association

The national Oregon-California Trails Association, founded in 1982, is a not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Independence, Missouri, dedicated to education about, preservation and enjoyment of, the trans-Mississippi emigrant trails.

OCTA operates a large bookstore dedicated to offering the best available titles on the emigrant experience. It also publishes the scholarly Overland Journal as well as a quarterly newsletter, News From the Plains, both of which are mailed as a benefit of membership. Members have access to the Paper Trail database consisting of information about hundreds of emigrant diaries as well as a digitized Overland Journal and diary collections.

OCTA has devoted major resources to locating, conserving, and digitizing an extensive collection of pioneer records, including thousands of pioneer diaries that provide first-person accounts of their often-treacherous journeys across the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and westward to the Pacific Ocean. The stories these pioneers tell are sometimes heart-warming, sometimes gut-wrenching, but always touching. In addition to its preservation efforts, OCTA also sponsors various educational programs, including virtual lectures and other online content.