Big Lake State Park is a 407-acre public recreation area in northwest Missouri at the northern end of Big Lake, the state’s largest oxbow lake. Established in 1932, it is one of Missouri’s older state parks and is closely connected to the Missouri River floodplain landscape. Boating, camping, picnicking, fishing, and swimming center its use, and its oxbow-lake setting gives it a character unlike many upland parks. That geography has also brought repeated flood damage to park accommodations. In 2016, wheeled rental cabins were introduced so they could be moved when flooding threatened, reflecting both the attractions and challenges of recreation in a landscape shaped by changing water levels.