Big Oak Tree State Park

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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.

People have come up with many ways to predict the weather, and the woolly bear (or woolly worm) caterpillar is one of th...
10/22/2026

People have come up with many ways to predict the weather, and the woolly bear (or woolly worm) caterpillar is one of them! Woolly bears are the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger moth. These common caterpillars are often seen crossing roads in autumn in search of a cozy place to spend the winter. It is said that if the brown bands are wide, the winter will be mild. If the black bands are wider, winter will be more severe. Have you seen any woolly caterpillars this year? What do they predict?

Plant profile: Sycamore TreesSycamores are large, fast-growing trees that typically inhabit areas around water. Growing ...
10/17/2026

Plant profile: Sycamore Trees
Sycamores are large, fast-growing trees that typically inhabit areas around water. Growing up to 120 feet tall, they are the largest deciduous trees in North America! Sycamores begin dropping their large gold leaves in early October, and their striking white peeling bark stands out amongst other trees. As they age, Sycamores tend to hollow out. Chimney swifts historically inhabited old hollow trunks, and thousands could live in one tree. The seeds are a food source for finches in winter, and great blue herons rely on Sycamores for nesting.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

Blue Jays are working hard gathering acorns this month. Like other animals, blue jays are preparing for winter by storin...
10/16/2026

Blue Jays are working hard gathering acorns this month. Like other animals, blue jays are preparing for winter by storing acorns. An individual bird can cache around 4000 acorns each fall! Buried acorns are often left to sprout into new oak trees, because the birds only recover about 25% of what they store. So, one blue jay can plant an entire forest in its lifetime!
Fun facts- Blue jays can carry up to 7 acorns at a time-they have an expandable pouch in their throat!
A flock of blue jays is called a scold.

Photos courtesy of Audubon

It’s stink bug season! The most common stink bugs most folks see is the brown marmorated stink bug which is native to A...
10/10/2026

It’s stink bug season! The most common stink bugs most folks see is the brown marmorated stink bug which is native to Asia. They feed on plants and are considered an agricultural pest in many areas. They are also likely to invade homes in the fall and seek a place for hibernation. Once they find a location that they like, they emit a pheromone that attracts others. They get their name from the unpleasant odor they excrete when disturbed.

Watch your head! Hickory nuts are falling in abundance in the park! Hickory nuts are an important food source for animal...
10/09/2026

Watch your head! Hickory nuts are falling in abundance in the park! Hickory nuts are an important food source for animals, especially squirrels. Their sharp teeth can gnaw right through the hard shells. Though we may not see much value in them, they are an important source of calories, fat, and protein for animals in the winter months. Squirrels’ habit of burying them also contributes to the preservation of the species, as many are left to sprout the following spring.

If you've been walking in the park lately, you probably have walked right into a few spider webs! The most common spider...
10/03/2026

If you've been walking in the park lately, you probably have walked right into a few spider webs! The most common spiders that build webs across trails this time of year are spiny orbweavers. These odd looking spiders are harmless to humans, but are excellent predators. Their sticky webs entangle countless insects. Though they may look fearsome, these tiny spiders are only dangerous to their prey.
Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

Cottonwood leaves sometimes have orb shaped growths on their stems. These are cottonwood petiole galls. They are caused ...
10/02/2026

Cottonwood leaves sometimes have orb shaped growths on their stems. These are cottonwood petiole galls. They are caused by an aphid that requires two different plant hosts: cottonwood trees and cabbage plants! Galls are insect nurseries that will fill with dozens of nymphs that emerge as adults that then fly to cabbage plants. Next time you see a cottonwood tree, see if the leaves have these interesting growths.

Fall songbird migration is under way! When the seasons and weather begin to shift, songbirds begin to migrate from their...
09/26/2026

Fall songbird migration is under way! When the seasons and weather begin to shift, songbirds begin to migrate from their summer homes to warmer climates. Fall migration lasts longer than spring migration and generally involves higher numbers of birds. Most songbirds migrate at night, and large flocks can even be seen on weather radar! You can help migratory birds by turning off outside lights after 11 p.m. Cornell Lab of Ornithology has maps that show migration patterns and how many birds are present on a given night.

https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/

09/24/2026

Some juvenile raccoons were spotted foraging in the shallow water today. Juvenile raccoons generally stay with their mother until fall, and then begin striking out on their own. Some family units stay together until the next spring.

Have you seen any monarch butterflies lately? Migration is underway! Monarchs cannot survive in our winter temperatures....
09/19/2026

Have you seen any monarch butterflies lately? Migration is underway! Monarchs cannot survive in our winter temperatures. They travel several thousand miles to overwinter in large numbers in the mountains of central Mexico. Monarchs are the only butterflies in the world that migrate this way. Next time you see one, take a moment to appreciate these migratory wonders!
Photos courtesy of Country Living Magazine

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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