Download free topo maps of Big Thicket National Preserve. Use the adjoining 7.5 minute quadrangle legend to locate the Texas maps you need.
Big Thicket National Preserve established 1974 to protect its biological diversity was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1981. Located not far from Beaumont, Texas, this once immense forested area is part of a blackwater swamp providing habitats for an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna. This diversity was created by the last Ice Age moving plants from North America to this region. The remnant of land and species remaining today includes over 1,000 flowering plants and ferns, at least 300 species of migratory birds, many threatened or endangered, reptile species including venomous snakes and alligators; prior to their extinction this region hosted a megafauna of species. The Visitor Center offers an orientation film as well as exhibits; with information on many hiking trails that traverse various ecosystems; fishing, camping, backpacking, canoeing and horseback riding are also available.