I guess I thought enough had been said about the live oak trees in the Rockport area. Well, that was until someone said, “Have you seen the Big Tree?”
I didn’t think much more about it until I was looking at a map of the area and there was a location called “Big Tree”. Hmm, if it rates a notation on the map, then we’d better go and take a look.
Just north of Rockport, across the Copano Bay Bridge, is the Lamar Peninsula and the Goose Island State Park. Signs just say “Big Tree —–>” and at the end of a very narrow road, there it is.
This tree is over 1000 years old and stands about 45 feet tall with a spread of about 90 feet. The trunk, shown below, has an average diameter greater than 11 feet and a girth of more than 35 feet.
The information sign could use a little upgrade. It hasn’t weathered as well as the tree.
Strange as it might be, the Big Tree is pretty vertical. About 40 years ago some trimming and successful disease treatments were performed on the tree. A few cables help keep some of the branches from drooping too much.
The area is full of offspring of the Big Tree. As you can see, they don’t stand as straight as the parent.
Many other decendents fill the area.
The main portion of the Goose Island State Park is located a few miles from the Big Tree. They had to contact a tree expert in Atlanta, to come trim the trees. Each time we visit the Texas State Parks we are impressed with the grounds. They have a large, shaded area set aside for RV’s and other campers. All of the campsites have electic and water hook ups. A dump station is available. The sites are quite large and private. You can’t see your neighbor. More to our liking were the waterfront campsites.
These unshaded sites are located right on the water. Each site has a cement, lighted, covered picnic area.
A boat launch is available and kayaks can be rented.
On a side note, we find several communities in this area that have built homes on canals. The canals have access to various bays or to the Laguna Madre and the inter-coastal.
In this area, having a waterfront or water view home on the Gulf of Mexico might be nice for those that like to watch the sunrise. We don’t get up that early.