J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, on the subtropical barrier island of Sanibel, is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for spectacular migratory bird populations and the best place to start your visit is the FREE Visitor and Education Center!
J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge welcomes all. Whether it is your first time visiting or you bike through every day, Ding has something for everyone!
The best place to start is the Visitor and Education Center. There you can get information and brochures, visit the nature store, explore our exhibits and visit America's best restrooms. Exhibits feature information about our ecosystems, the work of Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, migratory flyways and a hands-on area for children.
After your visit you can walk, bike, drive the four-mile Wildlife Drive, access three walking trails and two canoe launches from it. You can walk or bike the Bailey Tract too, an interior part of the refuge dominated by freshwater plants and wildlife. The refuge is home to more than 245 bird species, so birdwatching and photography are fabulous.Or sign up for a tram tour offered by Tarpon Tay Explorers to see the Wildlife Drive. Stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and more are available at Tarpon Bay.
What began as a sandbar is now Sanibel, a barrier island fringed with mangrove trees, shallow bays, and white sandy beaches located off the southwest coast of Florida. For over 2,000 years the Calusa Indians made the lush island, with its ready source of food from the sea, their home. By the mid-1800s, European settlers arrived and soon displaced the Calusa tribe. For years, the island was mainly used by farmers until a fierce hurricane in 1926 destroyed the agriculture industry. Construction of the Sanibel causeway in 1963 opened way for tourism on the island. Jay Norwood Darling was instrumental in the effort to block the sale of a parcel of environmentally valuable land to developers on Sanibel Island. At Darling's urging, President Harry S. Truman signed an Executive Order creating the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge in 1945.
The refuge was established to safeguard and enhance the wildlife habitat of Sanibel Island, to protect endangered and threatened species, and to provide feeding, nesting, and roosting areas for migratory birds. The refuge is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States and is world famous for its spectacular migratory bird populations. In 1967, the refuge was renamed for conservation pioneer Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, who was instrumental in its founding. More than 40 percent of the refuge is Congressionally designated wilderness.
J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge
1 Wildlife Drive Sanibel, FL 33957-3032
(239) 472-1100
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