Old Spanish Trail Association
OSTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1994 that preserves, protects, and educates about the 1,200-mile Old Spanish National Historic Trail across six southwestern states. It serves trail descendants, enthusiasts, federal agencies, and educators through 13+ chapters, conferences, the Spanish Traces journal, and GIS trail documentation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersContact via phone/email, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Old Spanish Trail Association does
The Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1994 and headquartered virtually under Executive Director Lynn Brittner. OSTA is the primary non-profit dedicated to preserving, protecting, and educating about the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, a 1,200-mile trade route that traveled through 31 counties across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah between 1829 and 1848 and was designated a National Historic Trail in 2002. The organization operates through 13+ geographic and topical chapters including a Descendants & Travelers of the Trail chapter with international membership, and works in formal partnership with the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management as co-administrators of the trail.
OSTA's core technology assets include an NPS-hosted interactive ArcGIS Field Maps system providing county-level trail maps across 31 counties, a password-protected digital archive of the Spanish Traces journal covering 1995 through 2020, 360-degree 3D virtual tours of trail sites such as the Fish Lake Cutoff, and GIS shape files for approximately 40 miles of GPS-recorded trail segments produced by the Tecopa chapter between 2007 and 2021. A publicly accessible special collection of maps, journals, publications, and artifacts is housed at Southern Utah University's Gerald R. Sherratt Library.
The business model relies on four revenue streams: annual and lifetime membership dues ranging from $25 to $500, annual conference registration at $125 to $175 per attendee, tax-deductible donations to general and restricted funds, and merchandise sales through the OST Store (ostastore.com). OSTA certifies interpretive partner sites along the trail (currently nine, including El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, Fort Uncompahgre, and the Moab Museum) and delivers educational content through lesson plans, Junior Ranger programs, the Spanish Traces journal (three issues per year), a YouTube channel, and field trips organized by state chapters.
Old Spanish Trail Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Old Spanish Trail Association
- Legal name
- Old Spanish Trail Association
- Website
- https://oldspanishtrail.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OSTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1994 that preserves, protects, and educates about the 1,200-mile Old Spanish National Historic Trail across six southwestern states. It serves trail descendants, enthusiasts, federal agencies, and educators through 13+ chapters, conferences, the Spanish Traces journal, and GIS trail documentation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Old Spanish Trail Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heritage Preservation / Nonprofit Trail Stewardship
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (71212), Libraries and Archives (51921)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Old Spanish Trail Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Contact via phone/email
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Old Spanish Trail Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $25-$100 depending on category (Individual, Family, Student, Institutional, Sustaining, Business). Lifetime memberships available at $500 for individuals. Membership includes Spanish Traces journal (3x/year), digital archive access, chapter affiliation, and conference discounts.
- Conference Registration: Annual conferences with registration fees of $125-$175 for members and $150-$175 for non-members, plus optional events (receptions, banquets, dinners). The 2026 conference in Kanab, Utah includes field trips and tours.
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations to General Fund (unrestricted) and restricted funds including the Pat Kuhlhoff Education Fund, Interpretive Media Fund, and Southern Utah University Sherratt Library fund. OSTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with EIN 84-1282611.
- Merchandise Sales: OST Store selling map posters, publications, and educational materials. The OSTA Online Store (ostastore.com) offers map posters and other merchandise.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual annual membership - $40/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Family annual membership - $50/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Student annual membership - $25/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional annual membership - $40/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Sustaining annual membership - $100/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Business annual membership - $100/year |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Individual lifetime membership - $500 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Family lifetime membership - $500 |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual recurring membership options |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Conference registration - Early bird |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Conference registration - After October 1 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | One day conference registration |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Optional conference events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | New member conference discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Old Spanish Trail Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OSTA preserves, protects, interprets, and educates the public about the Old Spanish National Historic Trail through tiered memberships, a tri-annual journal (Spanish Traces), an annual conference with field trips, GIS-based trail maps, museum certification, and educational materials. Revenue is generated through annual and lifetime memberships, conference registrations, donations, and merchandise/map sales.
Product overview
The Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on preserving, protecting, interpreting, and educating about the Old Spanish National Historic Trail. OSTA does not offer a technology product or software platform. Its offerings consist of membership services, publications (Spanish Traces journal), educational materials, annual conferences, maps, interpretive media, and an online store for trail-related merchandise. The organization's primary activities include trail stewardship, research, advocacy, and public education through chapters across six states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Annual Memberships (Individual, Family, Student, Institutional, Sustaining, Business) Recurring annual memberships priced USD 25–100 by tier (Student $25, Individual/Institutional $40, Family $50, Sustaining/Business $100) granting access to the Spanish Traces journal (3x/year), the Spanish Traces digital archive, chapter affiliation, and conference discounts.
- Lifetime Memberships (Individual and Family) One-time USD 500 lifetime memberships for individuals and families, providing perpetual access to the Spanish Traces journal, digital archive, and chapter programs without annual renewal.
- Spanish Traces Journal Official OSTA journal published three times annually with research articles, national and state activities, trail management updates, and chapter news; distributed in print and digitally to members with the full back archive (1995–2020) accessible online to members.
- Annual OSTA Conference Annual multi-day conference rotating through trail states, featuring presentations, field trips, banquets, optional events, and chapter meetings; registration priced USD 75–175 depending on member status and timing, with a $5 new-member discount.
- OSTA Online Store — Maps, Posters, and Archive Back Issues Online storefront at ostastore.com selling trail-related merchandise, including map posters, publications, digital archive back issues (USD 30), and educational materials, with merchandise shipped to customers.
- Educational Materials for Teachers and Students Free downloadable lesson plans, coloring books, educational flyers, history lesson plans, and Junior Ranger program materials developed in partnership with BLM and NPS, designed for K-12 teachers and self-directed students.
- Field Trips and Chapter-Led Excursions Recreational and educational field trips organized by state and topical chapters across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, including archaeological, recreational, and historical visits tied to conference programming (for example, the 7-Mile Segment in Colorado).
Quantifiable outcome
- The Old Spanish National Historic Trail travels through 31 counties across 6 states in the American Southwest, covering approximately 1,200 miles from Abiquiu, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Old Spanish Trail Association
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Old Spanish Trail Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Old Spanish Trail Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- National Park FoundationmajorThe National Park Foundation funded the 'Back to the Trail' event through its Active Trails grant program. Grant resulted in trailhead improvements, signage, and celebratory recreational events (hiking, mountain biking, equestrian) along the OSNHT in Mesa County, Colorado.
- National Park Service (NPS)coreNPS is the co-administrator of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail alongside the Bureau of Land Management. OSTA consults with NPS on Trail administration plans, management strategies, and federal compliance requirements. NPS provides technical assistance, access to trail staff specialists, and official OSNHT signage and logo usage for certified partners.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreBLM is the co-administrator of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail alongside NPS. BLM manages significant portions of federal public lands along the trail corridor. OSTA consults with BLM on federal land management actions, route realignments, and resource protection.
- Partnership for the National Trail System (PNTS)majorPNTS connects member non-profit trail organizations and Federal agency partners to further protection, completion, and stewardship of 30 National Scenic and Historic Trails. OSTA participates as a member organization advocating for the National Trails System.
- Southern Utah University - Gerald R. Sherratt LibrarymajorEstablished in 2015, SUU's Gerald R. Sherratt Library houses OSTA's publicly accessible special collection of maps, journals, publications, photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia. OSTA members have donated materials to the collection which is administered by the university library.
- Museum of MoabmajorThe Museum of Moab partnered with OSTA to produce a short documentary video about the hardships of traveling the OST and its role as a migration route. The film aims to inspire hikers, bikers, and equestrians to explore the trail.
- Mesa CountymajorMesa County partnered with OSTA and the City of Grand Junction to promote and facilitate the recreational retracement called the '7 Mile Segment' of the OSNHT. Today this trail is one of the more popular recreational areas near Grand Junction.
- City of Grand JunctionmajorCity of Grand Junction partnered with OSTA and Mesa County on the 7 Mile Segment recreational retracement project. The trail is minutes from downtown with two trailheads for parking and easy access.
- Bureau of Land Management - Arizona Strip DistrictmajorBLM Arizona Strip District funded an ongoing OSTA project to develop recommendations concerning the Armijo Route traversing the Arizona/Utah borderlands. Project includes refined route alignment recommendations and recreational opportunity planning.
- City of Los Angeles (El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument)majorThe City of Los Angeles formally signed a Partnership Certification Agreement with BLM and NPS regarding El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the second OSNHT site certified. The monument is a unit of the City of Los Angeles.
- U.S. Forest ServiceminorUSFS is a federal partner administering individual national historic and scenic trails. While not the co-administrator of OSNHT, USFS manages lands adjacent to or near trail routes in some areas.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Old Spanish Trail Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- National Park Foundation: Official charitable partner of the National Park Service, funding preservation and recreation projects across all national park units. OSTA has received grants from the National Park Foundation (Active Trails), making it functionally a funder and adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
Direct peers
- Pacific Crest Trail Association: Non-profit steward of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail with a parallel structure of membership, chapters, volunteers, and formal NPS partnership. Comparable to OSTA in mission (trail preservation and recreation) and revenue model (memberships, donations, merchandise), though scoped to a longer and higher-visibility trail.
- Partnership for the National Trails System: OSTA is an explicit member of this umbrella organization connecting 30 National Scenic and Historic Trail non-profits with federal agency partners. PNTS is the directly comparable peer organization in the same federated structure, providing advocacy, training, and coordination—OSTA participates in and benefits from this network.
- Continental Divide Trail Coalition: Non-profit partner for the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, operating with a similar membership and chapter network, federal partnership model, and focus on trail completion, preservation, and recreation. Comparable to OSTA as a national trail advocacy non-profit with distributed volunteer governance.
- Appalachian Trail Conservancy: The largest and most established U.S. national trail non-profit, exercising a similar co-administrator role with the National Park Service for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Operates a comparable membership, chapter, and volunteer-based model focused on trail preservation, education, and recreation—making it the most directly comparable peer in scale and mission structure.
- National Pony Express Trail Association: Volunteer-based non-profit dedicated to preserving and marking the Pony Express National Historic Trail across multiple western states. Highly comparable to OSTA in its focus on a single National Historic Trail, volunteer chapter structure, and educational/recreational mission.
- Oregon-California Trails Association: Non-profit dedicated to preserving the Oregon, California, Mormon, and Pony Express Trails across the American West. One of the largest historic trail advocacy organizations, comparable to OSTA in mission (preservation of emigrant and trade trails), educational programming, and chapter-based structure, though with a broader trail portfolio.
- El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association: Volunteer-driven non-profit supporting the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail through New Mexico and Texas. Directly comparable to OSTA in scope, structure, and mission—preserving a National Historic Trail through chapter-based advocacy, education, and partnership with NPS/BLM.
Broad incumbents
- National Trust for Historic Preservation: Large national non-profit focused on historic preservation across the United States, operating with a membership model, advocacy role, and educational programming. While OSTA is trail-specific, the National Trust represents a broader incumbent in the heritage preservation space and overlapping donor and advocacy ecosystems.
Emerging players
- Rocky Mountain Conservancy: Non-profit partner supporting Rocky Mountain National Park with educational programming, membership, and trail/stewardship projects. Comparable to OSTA in mission scope (preservation, education, recreation on protected federal lands) and revenue model (memberships, donations, merchandise), though scoped to a single national park rather than a multi-state trail.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Old Spanish Trail Association social profiles
Digital presenceOld Spanish Trail Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Old Spanish Trail Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Old Spanish Trail Association subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Old Spanish Trail Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Old Spanish Trail Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Old Spanish Trail Association
What does Old Spanish Trail Association do?
OSTA preserves, protects, interprets, and educates the public about the Old Spanish National Historic Trail through tiered memberships, a tri-annual journal (Spanish Traces), an annual conference with field trips, GIS-based trail maps, museum certification, and educational materials. Revenue is generated through annual and lifetime memberships, conference registrations, donations, and merchandise/map sales.
Is Old Spanish Trail Association a public or private company?
Old Spanish Trail Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Old Spanish Trail Association founded?
Old Spanish Trail Association was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Old Spanish Trail Association based?
Old Spanish Trail Association is headquartered in Contact via phone/email, United States, in the North America region.
How does Old Spanish Trail Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are conference Registration, donations and merchandise Sales.
Who are Old Spanish Trail Association's main competitors?
National Park Foundation is listed as an others. Direct peers are Pacific Crest Trail Association, Partnership for the National Trails System, Continental Divide Trail Coalition, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, National Pony Express Trail Association, Oregon-California Trails Association and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association. National Trust for Historic Preservation is listed as a broad incumbent. Rocky Mountain Conservancy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Old Spanish Trail Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Old Spanish Trail Association.
What industry is Old Spanish Trail Association in?
Old Spanish Trail Association's product category is Heritage Preservation / Nonprofit Trail Stewardship. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJACAC, Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAJ, Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation). Its NAICS code is 712 and its SIC code is 8600.