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.

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.

This young western ratsnake (or black rat snake) was hanging out in the park this weekend. Black snakes are non-venomous...
05/16/2026

This young western ratsnake (or black rat snake) was hanging out in the park this weekend. Black snakes are non-venomous and harmless to humans. They are common in Missouri, and can reach more than 72 inches in length. They are constrictors, and primarily eat rodents. When hatched, the young are grey with black splotches, and darken to solid black as they age.

Five lined skinks are common lizards that inhabit Big Oak Tree. As juveniles, they are black and yellow striped with blu...
05/15/2026

Five lined skinks are common lizards that inhabit Big Oak Tree. As juveniles, they are black and yellow striped with blue tails. As they mature, they lose their colorful stripes and become brown with darker stripes down the side. Females retain some blue in their tails, and males develop orange color under their chins during mating season. Eggs are laid April-June in leaf litter or rotten logs, and females guard the eggs until they hatch. Look for them along the boardwalk trail, where they find plenty of insects and spiders to fill their bellies.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

What’s that blooming in the borrow pit? The sea of yellow blooms are ragworts, which belong to the Asteraceae family. We...
05/09/2026

What’s that blooming in the borrow pit? The sea of yellow blooms are ragworts, which belong to the Asteraceae family. We have seven different species recorded in Missouri. The small yellow flowers look similar to a daisy and bloom April-June. This species occurs in floodplains and tributaries. Ragworts are poisonous if eaten, but the flowers provide nectar and pollen for a variety of insects.

This brightly colored snake was spotted near the boardwalk trail. It is an orange-striped ribbonsnake. This member of th...
05/07/2026

This brightly colored snake was spotted near the boardwalk trail. It is an orange-striped ribbonsnake. This member of the non-venomous garter snake family is usually found near water. They have an orange stripe along the middle of the back, and yellow stripes on the sides. They typically eat frogs, toads, salamanders, and earthworms. They have a prominent spot on the head, which can help distinguish them from other garter snakes.
Fun fact: The ribbon snake has a very long tail, up to 1/3 of it’s body length!

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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