Preserving more than half of Sanibel Island for the sake of its renowned bird life, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is named for editorial cartoonist J.N. “Ding” Darling.
In the early 1940s, he actively worked to convince the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to purchase the land for conservation when the State of Florida planned to sell it to developers.
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Overview
Location: Sanibel Island
Trailhead: 26.445460, -82.112938
Address: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel
Fees: $10 per vehicle, $1 per hiker or cyclist. Access to the Visitor Center and the Bailey Tract is free. The Indigo Trail is free to walk on Fridays.
Restroom: At the Visitor Center
Land manager: US Fish and Wildlife Service
Phone: 239-472-1100
Visitor Center open 9-4, closed Fridays and Federal holidays. Wildlife Drive is open 7-5, closed on Fridays. The Bailey Tract is open sunrise to sunset.
Leashed dogs are permitted on Wildlife Drive, Indigo Trail, and the Bailey Tract.
Interactive Map
About the Refuge
While most visitors come to drive the scenic loop around the refuge, to truly explore the nooks and crannies of this preserve, you have to take to the trails.
With the exception of the Indigo Trail, a 4 mile round-trip out into the mangrove forest on an elevated berm, the rest of the park’s trails are short interpretive walks meant to focus on a specific aspect of this refuge.
Ding Darling is noted for its large migratory bird population during the winter months.
Be sure to stop at the observation deck along Wildlife Drive to scan for roseate spoonbills. Their pink feathers show up well against the dark mud of the marsh.
Take the time to walk the Calusa Shell Mound Trail, a loop around an ancient midden in a tropical hammock.
A separate portion of the refuge, the Bailey Tract, has its own set of hiking and biking trails surrounding a group of ponds created long ago for mosquito control. They’re now an excellent place for birding.
Trails
Calusa Shell Mound Trail Near the end of Wildlife Drive, this accessible boardwalk loops a site revealing the ancient Calusa culture that once flourished on Sanibel Island.
Cross Dike Trail Connecting Wildlife Drive and the Indigo Trail, the Cross Dike Trail at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is an easy paved walk between two impoundments. 
Ding Darling Bailey Tract One of the lesser-known trails at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is at the Bailey Tract, off Tarpon Bay Road. Loop around impoundments with great birding.
Indigo Trail Get to know mangroves for miles and miles on the linear Indigo Trail, open to hikers and cyclists as a parallel route on a levee that connects to Wildlife Drive near both ends.
Red Mangrove Overlook The shortest walk at the refuge, the Red Mangrove Overlook along Wildlife Drive provides a fine perspective for birding and for seeing mangrove crabs up close.
Wulfert Keys Trail Does a crocodile smile? You might find out with a walk down the Wulfert Keys Trail, which follows a mangrove-lined canal to the edge of Hardworking Bay.Trail Map
Explore More!
Slideshow
Our photos of Ding Darling prior to Hurricane Ian
Nearby Adventures
Estero Bay Preserve State Park An aquatic preserve, Estero Bay Preserve State Park has mangrove-rimmed flats beloved of flats fisherman and paddlers as well as two upland access points with extensive trails.
Edison & Ford Winter Estates Tropical gardens from the 1920s grow lavishly around the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers.
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Winding 1.4 miles through the slough, the broad wheelchair-accessible boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers leads you into a dark cypress strand.
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium Heaven and earth meet at the Calusa Nature Center, where a planetarium show complements the center's main mission of introducing the region's natural history, in part through its hiking trails.
- Disappearing Creek Loop - April 9, 2025
- Tippecanoe Environmental Park - April 3, 2025
- Cedar Point Environmental Park - April 2, 2025