This 330-acre natural area lies in the floodplain of the Middle Fork of the Obion River in West Tennessee. It consists of bottomland hardwood forests including species like bald cypress and tupelo, beaver and fox squirrel.

Big Cypress is a popular park with the boy scouts and usually hosts several scout camporees each year as well as individual troop camping trips. Boy Scout leaders have used Big Cypress as a training site for new scout leaders, churches use the park and its picnic shelter for special services and cookouts, families hosts family reunions and area schools find the park popular for field trips.

The natural area is named for a champion bald cypress tree that was located on the area. The tree was once the largest and oldest bald cypress tree in the United States and the largest tree of any species east of the Mississippi River. However, a severe thunderstorm in July of 1976 produced a lightning bolt that struck the tree killing it.

The tree was once 175 feet tall, taller than any other tree in the bottomland forest. The circumference at the base was 40 feet, while the diameter measured thirteen feet. The age of the tree was estimated by the U. S. Forest Service as being 1,350 years old when lightning killed it.

The tree is no longer standing at this time and cannot be seen from the two mile long bottomland trail that once led visitors to a place where the tree could be observed. The trail itself is now closed.