Known in elite birding circles worldwide, the refuge also draws wildlife watchers with its relatively easy to find alligators, manatees, river otters, and turtles. Its main campus centers around 4-mile Wildlife Drive, its wetland trails, and the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center at its entrance. Nearby Tarpon Bay Recreation Area offers watersports and bike rentals and tours. The trails of Bailey Tract take visitors into freshwater habitat where alligators and bobcats live.
Parking and public transportation at J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Parking is free at the refuge's three campuses. From December to April, tram tour passengers will be directed to a separate parking lot nearby on Sanibel-Captiva Road, once they purchase their ticket from the booth outside the visitor center. No public transportation is currently available.
Best and worst time to go to J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Late fall through early spring is the most productive time to see birds in greatest variety at the refuge. Check tide charts for low tides, when the birds are feeding and most plentiful. Note however, that these times also mean the highest traffic on Wildlife Drive.
Admission to J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Admission to the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center is free, as are the trails at the Bailey Tract. To enter Wildlife Drive costs $5 per vehicle and $1 per bicycle or hiker. Annual passes are available as are free passes for U.S. citizens ages 62 and older.
Must see/do at J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
First-timers to the refuge should take a narrated tram tour of Wildlife Drive or at least sign up for one of the free guided birding, biking, and walking tours when available. Don't miss Indigo Trail, which leads to the Wildlife Education Boardwalk ,with cool replicated tracks and scat. Sunset tours out of Tarpon Bay pass rookery islands where birds come to roost each evening.
Other places to visit near J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Nature lovers should hit Bowman's Beach for great shelling, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) visitors center, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), and the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum – all nearby. For lunch or dinner, head to Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grille.
Insider tip to visitors to J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
In high season (Christmas through Easter) avoid driving around the island during morning and late afternoon rush hours. Traffic leaving the island is particularly bad from 3 to 6 p.m. If you must travel then, take the Gulf drives rather than Periwinkle Way, where traffic often comes to a standstill.
Author's bio: Chelle Koster Walton is author of the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Selective & Seductive guidebook app and The Sarasota, Sanibel Island & Naples Book Explorer's Guide. An indie food and travel writer, she specializes in Florida and the Caribbean.
