The Refuge encompasses 36,500 acres of the Pearl River Basin, most of which is accessible only by boat. The Refuge's remoteness is the draw for many visitors. Bogue Chitto NWR is primarily composed of swamps and bottomland hardwoods, interlaced by the Pearl and Bogue Chitto River systems. Water levels fluctuate from the summer months when the river is at its lowest, to high flood stages in the winter and spring. Over 90% of the Refuge can become flooded during these seasonal high river periods, creating numerous sloughs, bayous and lakes.