The goals of our organization, locally as well as nationally, are to educate people about our past and to protect the trails from destruction. We want to share the true story of our westward expansion and to dispel some of the traditional western myths. Trails Head is dedicated to the preservation of the remnants of actual trails and sites and the written record left behind by the people who traveled West. Our primary purposes are to educate, conduct research, publish trail-related documents, mark and map the trail routes. Along with the other chapters of OCTA, Trails Head is extremely watchful of the threats of the trail, such as commercial development, highway and road expansion, and vandalism.
Individual groups work with local developers and government agencies to protect the trails.
But when the preservation becomes wider in scope, the national organization works to preserve this unique chapter of American history. Much of Trails Head's primary work involves preserving ruts and sites, marking areas and education. Although a good deal of the work done by local chapters is to mark key sites of the trails, the organization as a whole acknowledges that one day all evidence of the historic trails may be gone. We expend considerable effort trying to preserve the written records left behind by the early pioneers. By preserving that written record, researching it and writing about it, then the trails will remain.