A ravine cutting into the Mississippi River escarpment contains the last vestiges of upland hardwoods that stretch down the river from the north. Upland hardwoods covered this area before the Bluebonnet Swamp was formed approximately 225 years ago. These upland hardwoods are composed of a diverse plant palette dominated by beech and magnolia trees. Most of the upland hardwoods have been lost to agricultural land uses and recently suburban development.