Big Oak Tree State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Big Oak Tree State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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Boardwalk trail through Big Oak Tree State Park
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 Big Oak Tree State Park
Location in Missouri
Big Oak Tree State Park
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mississippi, Missouri, United States |
| Area | 1,028.68 acres (4.1629 km2) |
| Elevation | 289 ft (88 m) |
| Established | 1938 |
| Governing body | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Big Oak Tree State Park |
| 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. 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.
List of champion trees
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 |
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| 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 |
Activities and amenities
The park has two trails for hiking through the forest, including an accessible boardwalk trail, plus an interpretive center along the boardwalk and picnicking facilities.
