Big Oak Tree State Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LocationMississippi County, Missouri, United States
Area1,028.68 acres (416.29 ha)[2]
Elevation292 ft (89 m)[1]
| Big Oak Tree State Park | |
|---|---|
 Boardwalk trail through Big Oak Tree State Park | |
  Location in Missouri  Big Oak Tree State Park (the United States) | |
| Location | Mississippi County, Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 36°38′25″N 89°17′34″W / 36.64028°N 89.29278°W[1] |
| Area | 1,028.68 acres (416.29 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 292 ft (89 m)[1] |
| Established | 1938[3] |
| Administered by | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| Visitors | 24,162 (in 2022)[4] |
| Website | Official website  |
| Designated | May 1986 |
Big Oak Tree State Park is a state-owned nature preserve with recreational features encompassing 1,029 acres (416 ha) in East Prairie, Missouri, United States. The state park was established in a large expanse of drained cropland in 1938 to protect some of the largest trees in the state and in the nation.[5] The park was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1986, recognized as a rare, untouched wet-mesic bottomland hardwood forest in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain portion of the Gulf Coastal Plain.[6]
Big Oak Tree State Park is the home of 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 | 118" | 150' | 77' | 357 | Alive |
| Rusty blackhaw | 48" | 29' | 25' | 83 | Alive |
| Eastern cottonwood | 288" | 114' | 76' | 421 | Died 1976 |
| Slippery elm | 264" | 115' | 60' | 394 | Died 1979 |
| Shumard oak | 205" | 134' | 86' | 361 | Died 1997 |
| Bur oak | 229" | 154' | 92' | 406 | Alive |
| Swamp chestnut oak | 272" | 156' | 104' | 454 | Alive |
| Pawpaw | 24" | 39' | 26' | 70 | Died 1980 |
| Persimmon | 97" | 133' | 45' | 241 | Alive |
| Possumhaw | 14" | 21' | 30' | 42 | Alive |
| Swamp privet | 26" | 28' | 31' | 62 | Died 1959 |
| Black willow | 148" | 113' | 69' | 278 | Alive |
