Big Oak Tree State Park

Big Oak Tree State Park This is the OFFICIAL page for Big Oak Tree State Park in East Prairie, Mo. The state park system is composed of 92 parks and historic sites managed by the Dept.

Big Oak Tree State Park is home to the only remaining large tract of uncut bottomland hardwood forest and cypress swamp in the state. With countless floral and faunal species unique to these habitats, it is an ecological gem offering us a glimpse of pre-settlement Southeast Missouri. of Natural Resources for the benefit of all Missourians. This forum is for speech related to Missouri State Parks.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by users providing comments on this page are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of Missouri State Parks or any employee thereof.

Sunday is the (official) beginning of summer! The summer solstice marks the longest period of daylight for the year in t...
06/20/2026

Sunday is the (official) beginning of summer! The summer solstice marks the longest period of daylight for the year in the northern hemisphere. What signs of summer are you seeing or hearing outside?

Yellow-breasted chats are singing in the park! Their songs are variable and can sound like many other birds. Loud whistl...
06/18/2026

Yellow-breasted chats are singing in the park! Their songs are variable and can sound like many other birds. Loud whistles, grunts, mews, and cackles sounding over the swamp indicate their presence. They prefer to nest in dense thickets, especially blackberries. They are omnivores, and eat insects, spiders, fruits, and berries. They are greenish-brown and have brilliant yellow chests. They also sport white eyebrows and a white ring around the eyes.

Photos courtesy of nemesisbird.com

Turtle crossing! This red-eared slider was scooting across the road today! They are identified by the red stripe behind...
06/12/2026

Turtle crossing! This red-eared slider was scooting across the road today! They are identified by the red stripe behind the eye. Though usually in the water, they can be seen on land while looking for mates, or for a good spot to lay eggs. Red-eared sliders lay up to 22 eggs per nest, and sometimes will lay more than one clutch in a year.

Trumpet vine is blooming in the park! Trumpet vine or trumpet creeper is a vigorous woody vine that has bright orange tr...
06/11/2026

Trumpet vine is blooming in the park! Trumpet vine or trumpet creeper is a vigorous woody vine that has bright orange trumpet shaped blooms. It is very popular with hummingbirds, long tongued bees, butterflies, and moths. It is the host plant for the trumpet vine sphinx moth. It is an aggressive spreader, and grows all along the boardwalk trail.

Photos courtesy of FineGardening.com

Have you ever heard a rain crow call before a storm? Yellow-Billed Cuckoos, or “rain crows” are elusive birds that are r...
06/06/2026

Have you ever heard a rain crow call before a storm? Yellow-Billed Cuckoos, or “rain crows” are elusive birds that are rarely seen but often heard. Many folks believe if you hear them calling, it means it’s going to rain. Their call is a distinctive repeated knocking sound, like tapping two wooden blocks together. The song itself is a soft repeated cooing. During years of high prey availability, Yellow-billed Cuckoos will lay eggs in other birds’ nests. The adoptive parents will often end up raising the Cuckoo alongside their own nestlings.

Fun fact: Cuckoo clocks are named appropriately after the European Common Cuckoo, a relative of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Photos courtesy of migration research.org and Wikipedia

Oaks are important for many reasons, and feeding the birds is one of them! Caterpillars are the main source of food for ...
06/05/2026

Oaks are important for many reasons, and feeding the birds is one of them! Caterpillars are the main source of food for many birds and their offspring. It takes thousands of caterpillars to raise a nest of young birds, and oaks play an indispensable role in helping them! Next time you are on the bottomland trail, check out the state champion swamp chestnut oak tree!

Green treefrogs are calling! These small frogs are green with a white stripe running down the sides. Some have gold spec...
05/30/2026

Green treefrogs are calling! These small frogs are green with a white stripe running down the sides. Some have gold specks on their back. This species lays eggs June-July, and calls May through August. They live near permanent bodies of water, preferring swamps and river sloughs with vegetation. Their call is a repeated nasally “quank quank quank”. In Missouri, they occur primarily in the bootheel.

05/29/2026

Juvenile armadillos! Did you know armadillos only have quadruplets?!? These fast moving babies were foraging for food near the boardwalk trail yesterday.

Jelly fungus are rubbery mushrooms that grow on logs, stumps, and twigs. They shrink when the air is dry and swell when ...
05/23/2026

Jelly fungus are rubbery mushrooms that grow on logs, stumps, and twigs. They shrink when the air is dry and swell when it rains. Jelly fungus such as this wood-ear grow in clusters. They are cup shaped and irregularly lobed, resembling ears. As they dry, they will turn black. They can be found on dead trees and logs along the boardwalk trail.

Have you ever seen a prothonotary warbler? These vibrant yellow and blue-gray birds are warm weather residents at Big Oa...
05/22/2026

Have you ever seen a prothonotary warbler? These vibrant yellow and blue-gray birds are warm weather residents at Big Oak Tree. Walk down any of our trails, and you will be sure to hear them singing in the trees. The song is a loud “tsweet-tsweet-tsweet-tsweet-tsweet”. You may even catch a glimpse of one as they flit about looking for food. They prefer habitats near water, and they nest in tree cavities. These warblers arrive in Missouri in April and begin their migration south in August.

Photos Courtesy of Wikipedia and MDC.

Address

13640 S Highway 102
East Prairie, MO
63845

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 7pm
Tuesday 6am - 7pm
Wednesday 6am - 7pm
Thursday 6am - 7pm
Friday 6am - 7pm
Saturday 6am - 7pm
Sunday 6am - 7pm

Telephone

+15736493149

Website

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