Big Oak Tree State Park

About Big Oak Tree State Park

Driving on a highway in southeastern Missouri, you notice a lot of farmland, but not much that gets in the way of big trees or big forests.

The rest of the East Prairie farmland is preserved and known as Big Oak Tree State Park. The island of trees in a sea of agriculture is known for its trees and the park is unique in the size of the state. It preserves floodplains that once housed the early explorers of the breakwater region of our state.

In addition to the trees, the swampy land is also covered with wooded vines and there are a variety of wildlife such as birds, reptiles, amphibians, birds of prey and reptiles. The promenade leads into the park and offers access to a unique landscape in itself. An interpretation centre along the waterfront offers educational displays explaining the natural history of the parks.

The park is also a popular spot for birdwatchers, as Big Oak Tree State Park is considered rare in the state due to its large number of birds.

After a walk through the forest, visitors can take a look at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Missouri River Valley. Big Oak Tree State Park is the only state park in the entire Missouri State that once covered an area the size of New York City and up to 10,000 square miles.

A series of drainage channels facilitated the transformation of marshes, forests and agricultural land. A visit to the park will allow you to explore some of the most important habitats in the parks.

These include Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Missouri River Valley, as well as Big Oak Tree State Park.

It is easy to find areas dominated by bare cypresses and areas dominated by oaks, as well as areas dominated by oaks. Big Oak Tree State Park is known as the Park of Champions, and several trees have had the status of state champions because of their size. Pedigree trees are measured in circumference, height, crown and distribution, but not in their weight.

These numbers are inserted into a formula that gives a total score for each tree with a maximum score of 1,000 points and a minimum of 0.5.

These points are then used to determine which nominations are the largest and best of each species. Currently, Big Oak Tree State Park has seven master trees, each with a maximum score of 1,000.

Two of the seven trees are national champions, and the average height of a cocoa tree is 60 feet, but the national champions cocoa trees are 132 feet high.

The cotton mouthnut, also known as the moccasin, is as well established in the park as many water snakes. Animals living in and around the parks include birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds of prey, reptiles and mammals.

The park is an ideal location for many bird species and many migratory birds, including warblers, ducks and geese, can be observed during the walks in spring and autumn. Mississippi dragons can also be seen in summer, as can many other species of birds of prey such as owls, hawks and eagles.

The boat ramp is open year-round for controlled hunting and provides access to the Big Oak Tree State Park parking lot. There is no entry fee and the boat ramps are open all year round, except for a limited number of days in the summer months.

Big Oak Lake offers 22 acres for fishing, stockings on the lake and a 1.5 mile coastline for boating.

The borrow pit around the moat of the lake is also available for fishing, and the parking lot of Big Oak State Park is stocked with a variety of fishing boats.

Ten picnic spots are scattered throughout the park, and at each shelter there are two large grills with electricity and water. The picnic shelters can be reserved for up to 30 days, but are not reserved and can only be available on the basis of the "first come, first served" principle. Accommodation is also available in the parking lot of Big Oak State Park, where the bases come first.

To enquire about accommodation reservations, please call 573 - 748 - 5340 or call the parking office at (773) 746 - 5555 for information about the accommodation reservation process.

In summer, naturalists offer interpretative programs on various topics such as hiking, canoeing, camping and other outdoor activities for children.

In the summer months, there is also the opportunity to fulfill the requirements for the Junior Naturalist Badge in Big Oak Tree State Park. History Day is held on the second Saturday of September.

There is music and discounts all day long, but no discounts for those who show up for the demonstration.

Turn left on the highway and turn left onto the East Highway, then right at the entrance to Big Oak Tree State Park. Turn right into the parking lot of the park, then right again into the street and left into a parking lot.

Big Oak Tree State Park is about 10 miles from the freeway, and I-55 takes you from Memphis to Memphis. Depending on cruising speed, it takes about two - and - a - half an hour to get to the park, or about an hour and a half on the East Highway and about a - one - one - third mile to get to Big Oak.

Big Oak Tree State Park is about 10 miles from the freeway, and I-55 takes you from Memphis to Memphis. Depending on the cruise speed, the journey time from Memphis is either about three hours or about two - and - one and a half hours on the East Highway and about one and a half hours to Big Oak. Turn right on this highway into the south and turn right on the east side of the road and right into the park.

Stay on I-57 North at Exit 10 in Charleston and travel approximately 10 miles on this highway and turn right on the east side of the road and right into the park. There is a small parking lot at the entrance to Big Oak Tree State Park, which is about 5 miles away.

The nearest gas stations and grocery stores are in East Prairie and Charleston, but these locations are also a few miles away from Big Oak Tree State Park.