Big River State Forest is a multi-use outdoor recreational area near Oquawka that is used for timber resource education and supply. The forest was first established in 1925, although land acquisitions since then have increased its size substantially. In the past, there were stands of hardwood trees, but these have been cultivated and replaced with the much quicker growing pine species; part of the reason for this was to demonstrate how pine trees are much more commercially successful. As a result, many nearby landowners have followed suit and created pine tree farms that have achieved similar results.