The refuge is primarily accessed by watercraft. On the Louisiana side, there are two locations where short hikes may be taken. The Pearl River Turnaround Fishing Pond has a short interpretive boardwalk trail, and the Holmes Bayou Trail has a 1.4 mile-long out and back hike.
The Jim Schmidt Interpretive Boardwalk
Located off I-59 approximately 15 miles north of Slidell, LA. Take Exit 11/Pearl River Turnaround and follow the highway frontage road on the east side south to the Bogue Chitto Refuge fishing pond entrance. You’ll find a disabled-accessible fishing pier, a picnic pavilion and a short boardwalk trail that winds through a bottomland forest. Look for birds and alligators. This site may be flooded in late May and early June.
Holmes Bayou Trail.
Located off I-59 approximately 15 miles north of Slidell, LA. Take Exit 11/Pearl River Turnaround. Follow Honey Island Swamp Rd. on the west side of the highway approximately 4 west miles to the trailhead. The trail is a grassy road that travels 1.4 miles round-trip through the forest to an overlook of Holmes Bayou. Spring can be wet; fall offers the best hiking conditions.