Columbia · US

The Burr Oak Tree

Just 12 miles outside Columbia, Missouri, a single oak tree the size of a small building rises out of the flat Missouri River floodplain, so enormous and solitary that people simply call it "the Big Tree." A burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa) estimated at 350 to 400 years old, it is the largest of its species in Missouri and is tied for the national championship title. Standing roadside with only a handful of parking spots and a historical marker, it has quietly become one of the most photographed landmarks in the Columbia area. What makes the stop memorable is the combination of sheer scale and survival: a trunk so wide that four full-grown adults couldn't wrap their arms around it, a crown spreading some 130 feet across, and a story that includes the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Great Flood of 1993, repeated lightning strikes, and a community that rallies to keep its favorite tree alive. It is an easy, free, roadside detour that rewards photographers, Katy Trail cyclists, road trippers, and anyone who likes a landmark with genuine gravitas.