The Big Tree, Ancient coastal live oak in Goose Island State Park, Texas.

The Big Tree is a live oak (Quercus virginiana) in Goose Island State Park near Lamar, Texas. Its trunk has a circumference of over 35 feet and the tree stands more than 45 feet tall, with a crown spread of 90 feet. The thick, gnarled trunk splits low into heavy limbs, and two dark hollows are visible on the furrowed gray-brown bark.

The oak was already standing when European settlers arrived in this coastal region, and it has survived for more than a thousand years. Recognition as a historic natural landmark came in the late 1960s from the state of Texas.

The name refers to the tree's exceptional size, which visitors notice immediately upon approaching. Families often pause beneath the spreading limbs to experience the natural canopy formed by the trunk and branches.

A short walking path from the parking area leads directly to the tree, and signage explains the species characteristics. Visiting on a cooler day allows for more comfortable exploration, as the Texas coast can become quite warm in summer.

The Big Tree is a charter member (#16) of the Live Oak Society and appeared in a Ripley's "Believe It or Not" cartoon. It kept the Texas State Champion Virginia Live Oak title from 1969 until 2003, when a larger oak was found in Brazoria County. Climatologists say it has survived forty to fifty major hurricanes.