 The river takes its name from the town of Sampit which is situated on the bank of river not too distant from the Java Sea.The Schwaner mountain range extends with long hill ridges southwards, separating the major river systems of the area, most notably the Bukit Baka hill range which extends down to Sampit Bay.The area between the town of Sampit and the coast was historically heavily forested but has since been reduced due to road construction and development projects.