MISSOURI STATE PARKS

A visit to Big Oak Tree State Park is a visit to Missouri as the first explorers saw it. Towering hickory trees and oaks form a canopy that averages more than 120 feet in height and the soaring trees and marshy terrain transports visitors back to when southeast Missouri was dubbed “Swampeast Missouri.” The trees and wetlands make the park a prime place for wildlife. Visitors can enjoy the picnic sites and shelters that are shaded by trees that have seen centuries of history. A self-guided boardwalk trail tells the story of this rich landscape.