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| Island Trail Bridge crossing over to Wildlife Trail Martin Dies, Jr. State Park |
Martin Dies, Jr. State Park is in far East Texas near Jasper. This area of Texas, know as the Big Thicket, was once so vast it covered over 3 million acres of southeastern Texas. Today the Big Thicket National Preserve protects 12 separate 'units' of land comprising 97,550 acres of pine and cypress, hardwood forest, meadow and blackwater swamp. Only a remnant of what used to be here, the Big Thicket is still an amazing place.
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| Slough (pronounced 'slew') A boggy area where there is flowing water Big Thicket National Preserve |
Here four major biological areas converge: southeastern swamps, eastern forests, central plains and southwest deserts. Bogs sit near arid sandhills and eastern bluebirds nest near roadrunners. Plants and animals from all these regions live together in the Big Thicket. No wonder it has been called the biological crossroads of North America.
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| Trunk of American Holly covered with colorful lichens |
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| Red Maple winged seed pods or samaras |
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| Baygall or blackwater pond caused by the tannic acid in the fallen leaves Martin Dies, Jr. State Park |
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| Village Creek Big Thicket National Preserve |
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