Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge

This is the Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge home page. It is accessible from all the pages in the Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Refuges Complex web site in the menu on the left.

Photo of a cypress swamp with green duck weed floating on the surface of the water

There are eight National Wildlife Refuges in the SELA Refuges Complex. The mission of these refuges and the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Each of the programs in the SELA Refuges Complex also has a page. Each of the programs is accessible from all the pages in the SELA Refuges Complex web site in a menu on the left side or near the bottom of the page.

Contact information for all the refuges can be found on the Contact Us page.

Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1980 and encompasses 36,000 acres of the Pearl River Basin. Located northeast of Slidell, LA, this beautiful southern swampland is one of the least disturbed in the country.

Directions to the Refuge: From the Louisiana Side: To reach the southern tip of the refuge, take I-59 to Pearl River Turnaround Exit 11. Heading east from this exit takes you to a fishing area, turning west will take you toward the Holmes Bayou Trail. The Refuge can also be accessed from Locks 1, 2, & 3 by taking Highway 41 north of Slidell.

Mississippi Side: To reach the furthermost East side of the Refuge, take I-59 North to Picayune, MS. Take HWY 43 to Walkiah Bluff Water Park or to Dumas Wise Road to access the Refuge.

See the downloadable refuge maps in the table below.

Endangered and Threatened Species on the Refuge: Ringed-sawback turtle, American alligator, gopher tortoise, inflated heel-splitter mussel and the Gulf sturgeon. The swallow-tailed kite is a species of special concern on Bogue Chitto NWR. The American alligator was de-listed as an endangered species in 1987 but remains listed as threatened due to similarity in appearance to the endangered American crocodile. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was de-listed as a threatened species in 2007. Bald eagles visit the refuge each year.

Photo of a warbler at the nest with young

Other Wildlife Species: Deer, turkey, neo-tropical birds, rabbit, raccoon, a variety of snakes, mink, skunks, wading birds and waterfowl.

Habitat Description: Bogue Chitto NWR is a bottomland hardwood forest consisting of a number of sloughs and bayous. The production of valuable wildlife foods is dependent on the varying degrees of inundation during the growing season. A variety of woody plant species occur in these periodically flooded areas, and all exhibit some degree of survival in soils which are inadequately drained and aerated. Commonly recognized habitats include the bald cypress and water tupelo communities associated with longer periods of flooding to the live oak and pine forest communities on the higher ground.

Interesting Facts: Bogue Chitto is unique in that the refuge extends through two states, Mississippi and Louisiana. Bogue Chitto means "Large Stream" as described by the Choctaw Indians.

Photo of a man planting longleaf pine seedlings at the refuge

Management Goals: Preservation and enhancement of habitat, endangered species management, environmental education, and compatible wildlife-oriented recreation

Opportunities for Public Use: Hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, hiking, camping, birding, photography and canoeing. See the documents below for additional information, maps and brochures. All hunters must read, sign and have in their possession a Refuge Hunting Permit as found on the front of the Hunting and Fishing Regulations brochure.

Notice : Bogue Chitto NWR is closed to hunting (except waterfowl) and camping when the water level at the Pearl River, LA station is at 15.5 feet or higher. The US Geological Survey (USGS) river level gauge reading can be found here.

UPDATE: Water levels at the Pearl River, LA station (Pearl River gauge at Pearl River) are expected to reach 15.5 by Friday afternoon December 19th, 2008 and are expected to remain above 15.5 until after Sunday December 21, 2008. Check current gauge readings by calling 985-649-0357 or visit the website above. This will shorten the duration of the second split either sex deer season which runs from December 20-28. Federal regulations do not permit hunt season extensions due to weather or flood closures.

Events: The annual Youth Fishing Event is held in June at the Pearl River Turnaround, Exit 11 off I-59. The 2008 event was very successful. Over 175 registered participants from ages 4 to 12 years old caught everything from an eel to a 24" catfish. The event occurs each year during National Fishing and Boating Week; on a Saturday when no fishing licenses are required. Event registration begins each year, sometime in April. Check back on this page and the Refuge Event Calendar page for more information.

Hurricane Damage: The facilities and trails at Bogue Chitto received moderate damage from Hurricane Katrina. This damage has been repaired. Many trees were blow down or damaged at Bogue Chitto so we planted more than 30,000 trees at Bogue Chitto in 2006 and 2007.

Documents, maps and brochures related to the refuge can be found here.

Document Name	Description	Size	Click to Open or Download
Refuge Fact Sheet	Additional information about the refuge	100k
Refuge Hunting and Fishing Regulations	Hunting and fishing regulations, refuge hunting permit and map of the refuge	122k

Last Updated on December 17, 2008