place

The Big Tree

Flora of MissouriGeography of Boone County, MissouriIndividual oak treesIndividual trees in the United StatesTourist attractions in Boone County, Missouri
Big Tree with spring picnic
Big Tree with spring picnic

The Big Tree is a nearly 400-year-old bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) tree near the Missouri River in Boone County, Missouri. It is tied for National Champion, representing the largest tree of its species in the United States. Standing alone in the floodplain of the Missouri River, and near the city of Columbia, Missouri, it is a well-known landmark and has inspired artists, folklorists, photographers, and nature lovers for hundreds of years. The tree stands 27 m (89 ft) high, has a crown 40 m (130 ft) wide, and a trunk 7.5 ft (2.3 m) in diameter.The land on which the tree grows is private, and has been farmed by the Williamson family for six generations, although it is publicly accessible by Bur Oak Road. The Katy Trail State Park, a popular rail trail, is just yards from the tree, making it a common side-trip for cyclists. The small village of McBaine is within sight of the tree, and the village of Huntsdale is nearby. It is part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The Big Tree was cloned by scientists at the University of Missouri and many offspring from both clones and acorns are growing in front yards, city parks, and schoolyards around Missouri and beyond.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article The Big Tree (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

The Big Tree
Burr Oak Road,

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: The Big TreeContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 38.899311111111 ° E -92.464602777778 °
placeShow on map

Address

Burr Oak

Burr Oak Road

Missouri, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Big Tree with spring picnic
Big Tree with spring picnic
Share experience

Nearby Places

Petite Saline Creek

Petite Saline Creek is a stream in Cooper, Moniteau and Morgan counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is a tributary of the Missouri River. The stream source area is along the Morgan-Moniteau county line just north of U.S. Route 50 two miles east of Syracuse and three miles west of Tipton at 38°40′12″N 92°50′18″W and at an elevation of about 920 feet. The stream flows north into Cooper County crossing under and flowing parallel to the west side of Missouri Route 5. The stream turns east again crossing under Route 5 just south of Billingsville. The stream flows generally east passing under Missouri Route 87 southeast of Boonville. The stream continues east to southeast passing under Missouri Route 179 south of Wooldridge. The stream enters the Missouri River bottom just south of Wooldridge in eastern Cooper County and the confluence with the Missouri is in the northern corner of Moniteau County across the river from McBaine at 38°52′35″N 92°28′55″W and an elevation of 564 feet.At what was then called Wilkin's bridge, there was a skirmish during the American Civil War. The skirmish occurred on October 13, 1864, between the troops of the 5th Regiment, Missouri State Militia Cavalry, and the troops of General Fagan, who were guarding the bridge, during Price's Raid.Petite Saline Creek was so named for the salty character of the little creek.Lewis & Clark passed by on June 6, 1804, and made mention of this creek in their journals. ‘Passed the mouth of a creek called ‘saline’ or ‘salt’ creek. This river is about 30 yards wide and has so many licks and salt springs on its banks that water of the creek is brackish. One very large lick is 9 ms up on the left side. The water of this spring is strong. So much so, that it is said one bushel will make 7 pounds of good salt.”