The Big Oak Tree State Park is a 1029 acres (416.4 ha) park located in East Prairie, Missouri

East Prairie, Missouri

East Prairie is a city in Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,227 at the 2000 census. In 1881, the area was originally known as Bell's Grade and Hibbard and developed as a result of the railroad...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It was established in 1937 to help preserve some of the largest trees in the state and in the nation in a region of farmland. Activities in the park include fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

, and picnicking. An accessible

Accessibility

Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...

 boardwalk trail is available to take visitors through the forest. It was declared a National Natural Landmark

National Natural Landmark

The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...

 in May 1986 because it was a rare untouched wet-mesic bottomland hardwood forest

Bottomland hardwood forest

The Bottomland hardwood forest is a type of deciduous hardwood forest found in broad lowland floodplains along large rivers and lakes. They are occasionally flooded, which builds up the alluvial soils required for the Gum, Oak and Bald Cypress trees that typically grow in this type of biome...

 in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain

Mississippi Alluvial Plain

The Mississippi River Alluvial Plain is an alluvial plain created by the Mississippi River on which lies parts of seven states, from southern Louisiana to southern Illinois....

, which is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain

Gulf Coastal Plain

The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico.The plain reaches from the western Florida Panhandle, the southwestern two thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, some of western Tennessee and Kentucky, southwest Arkansas, the Florida...

List of Champion Trees

Big Oak Tree State Park is the home for many current and past state and national champion trees — trees that are, for their species, the largest in the state or in the nation.

Champion Trees	Circumference	Height	Spread	Points	Status
Pumpkin Ash Fraxinus profunda Fraxinus profunda is a species of Fraxinus native to eastern North America, primarily in the United States, with a scattered distribution on the Atlantic coastal plain and interior lowland river valleys from southern Maryland northwest to Indiana, southeast to northern Florida, and southwest to...	118"	150'	77'	357	Alive
Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium Viburnum prunifolium , is a species of Viburnum native to southeastern North America, from Connecticut west to eastern Kansas, and south to Alabama and Texas.-Growth:It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 2–9 m tall with a short crooked trunk and stout...	48"	29"	25'	83	Alive
Eastern Cottonwood Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides, the eastern cottonwood, is a cottonwood poplar native to North America, growing throughout the eastern, central, and southwestern United States, the southernmost part of eastern Canada, and northeastern Mexico.-Description:...	288"	114'	76'	421	Died 1976
Slippery Elm Ulmus rubra Ulmus rubra, the Slippery Elm, is a species of elm native to eastern North America...	264"	115'	60'	394	Died 1979
Shumard Oak Shumard Oak Quercus shumardii, the Shumard Oak, Spotted Oak, Schneck Oak, Shumard Red Oak, or Swamp Red Oak, is one of the largest of the oak species in the red oak group...	205"	134'	86'	361	Died 1997
Bur Oak Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa, the Bur Oak, sometimes spelled Burr Oak, is a species of oak in the white oak section Quercus sect. Quercus, native to North America in the eastern and midwestern United States and south-central Canada...	229"	154'	92'	406	Alive
Swamp Chestnut Oak Swamp Chestnut Oak Quercus michauxii, the swamp chestnut oak, is a species of oak in the white oak section Quercus section Quercus, native to bottomlands and wetlands in the southern and central United States, from New Jersey south to northern Florida, and west to Missouri and eastern Texas; it is rare north of the...	272"	156'	104'	454	Alive
Pawpaw Asimina triloba Asimina triloba, the pawpaw, paw paw, paw-paw, or common pawpaw, is a species of Asimina in the same plant family as the custard-apple, cherimoya, sweetsop, ylang-ylang and soursop...	24"	39'	26'	70	Died 1980
Persimmon	97"	133'	45'	241	Alive
Possumhaw Possumhaw Possumhaw may refer to:* Ilex decidua* Ilex verticillata...	14"	21'	30'	42	Alive
Swamp Privet Forestiera acuminata Forestiera acuminata, commonly known as Eastern Swamp Privet, is a deciduous shrub or small tree that is native to the southeastern and central United States, growing primarily in or near wetlands....	26"	28'	31'	62	Died 1959
Black Willow	148"	113'	69'	278	Alive

External links

• Big Oak Tree State Park