The refuge was established to provide sanctuary for migratory waterfowl and other birds and as a nature and forest preserve for aesthetic and conservation purposes.

An additional 459 acres (186 ha) were added when the fee title to Hog Marsh Island and adjacent lands to the north were acquired through an exchange of spoilage rights with Chatham County, Georgia.

In 1978, the 12,472-acre (5,047 ha) Argent Swamp tract was purchased from Union Camp Corporation using Land and Water Conservation Funds.

In order to straighten the east boundary, two tracts totaling 54 acres (22 ha) were purchased from Union Camp Corporation on August 27, 1996.

The refuge is located in the heart of the Lowcountry, a band of low land, bordered on the west by sandhill ridges and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, extending from Georgetown, South Carolina to St. Mary's, Georgia.

Several threatened and endangered species are protected on the refuge, including the American alligator, flatwoods salamander, bald eagle, wood stork, shortnose sturgeon, and Florida manatee.

The refuge also provides nesting areas for wood ducks, great horned owls, osprey and swallow-tailed kites.

The Visitor Center features exhibits describing the history and denizens of the refuge, an introductory video, and "The Gator Hole", a nature and book store.

All dikes are open to foot travel during daylight hours, unless otherwise posted, and provide excellent wildlife observation points.

This one-way loop meanders along 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of earthen dikes through managed freshwater pools and hardwood hammocks.

Volunteers staff the information desk and "The Gator Hole" at the Visitor Center,[citation needed] help with invasive species eradication, do trash pickup and other routine maintenance, participate in ongoing wildlife management activities, and advocate for the refuges before governmental agencies.