Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge, National wildlife refuge in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge spanning 36,500 acres across Louisiana and Mississippi in the Pearl River Basin. The land contains bottomland hardwood forests interlaced with numerous sloughs, bayous, and lakes.
The refuge was established on June 30, 1980, when President Jimmy Carter signed Public Law 96-288 to protect lands in Washington and St. Tammany Parishes and Pearl River County. This action secured the swamplands of the Pearl River Basin for future conservation.
The land preserves the natural heritage of the Pearl River Basin, situated on ancestral territories of the Acolapissa people in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The refuge is mainly accessible by boat from Louisiana, while road access is available on the Mississippi side with multiple free boat launches. Visitors should check local conditions and prepare for water-based exploration.
During winter and spring high water periods, over ninety percent of the refuge transforms into a network of water channels and wetlands. This seasonal change creates a different landscape that attracts diverse animal species.
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