Home

States

National Parks

Cheap Flights to Asia

Pictures of Top Cities

Hotels

Popular State Guides

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Hawaii
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Texas
• Washington
• Wyoming

Big Thicket National Preserve

Big Thicket National Preserve, a heavily forested area in Southeast Texas, is one of the most bio-diverse areas in the world. It is roughly bordered by the Neches River, the Trinity River, and the Pine Island Bayou. The Big Thicket is a part of the much larger Piney Woods terrestrial eco-region. It was established in the year 1974 with an aim of protecting the many plant and animal species in the area. It was also entitled as a ‘Biosphere Reserve’ by UNESCO in 1981.

Big Thicket National Preserve features as many as 9 separate land units and 6 water corridors. Big Thicket is known for its unremarkable terrain and the breathtaking views that it offers. This area sits on a flat coastal plain and is traversed by a number of small streams. The geographical features of the Preserve are thought to have their origin with the Western Interior Seaway, an inland sea that covered a large part of North America during the Cretaceous period. Big Thicket is also home to numerous small towns, most of which were established in the late 19th century in support of the lumber industry. Some of the major towns in the area include the Lumberton and Woodville.

Big Thicket has been designated as the “biological crossroads of North America” or the “American Ark”. It is home to more than 100 species of trees and shrubs, including 20 orchids and 4 types of carnivorous plants. Over 5, 000 species of ferns and flowering plants can also be found in Thicket, as suggested by the National Park Service. The area is chiefly dominated by Longleaf Pine, which reaches an average height of nearly 100 feet (30 m). Wildlife includes more than 300 species of nesting and migratory birds, many of which are endangered or threatened.

Besides, the Big Thicket National Preserve is also home to a number of reptile species, including the 4 major groups of alligators nod venomous North American snakes. A major attraction in the Preserve is the Bragg Road, a dirt road leading north out of the town of Saratoga. The various ghost stories associated with this so-called “Ghost Road” include long-dead conquistadors looking for their buried treasure, the Kaiser Burnout, a lost night hunter eternally searching for a way out, and reference to a decapitated railroad worker.

• Address: 3785 Milam Street, Beaumont, TX 77701
• Telephone: (409) 246-2337
• Preserve Headquareters Hours: Mon - Fri, 8 AM - 4:30 PM; closed on all government holidays
• Preserve Visitor Center Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM daily. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
  
• Website: www.nps.gov/bith/

Top 5 National Parks

1. Great Smoky Mountains
2. Grand Canyon
3. Yosemite
4. Olympic
   
5. Yellowstone

All 58 national parks.