J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge

"A wonderfull drive though wildlife refuge. We had some wonderful bird sightings. The roads and facilities are well maintained and the staff are friendly. The restrooms at the information center are clean."

"What a great visit! We saw up close a Yellow Crowned Night Heron catch a crab and the interesting way he ate it, enjoy the attached video! We were here in mid-January, lots of white American pelicans, Herons (Great Blue, Little Blue, Green, Tri-Color and above), Roseate Spoonbills, Red Egrets, and lots of sand birds. Lovely visitor center(check out the restrooms for fun fact-finding questions). Very easy to drive around the four miles and stop wherever you want and get out and look and view the wildlife. Cost is $10 for your car. There’s quite a few dead trees because of Hurricane Ian, but still plenty of birds to see and enjoy. Highly recommend!"

"If you haven’t experienced Ding Darling, you are missing out. It’s a must see all times of the year. I have done the Tram tour through wildlife drive by Tarpon Bay Explorers, also rented kayaks from them which is fun. I’ve driven through myself and several times rode bikes through. The Web during nesting season is awesome. The nature center is educational and everyone is so friendly. And you can’t stop there without checking out the bathrooms!"

"Fantastic wildlife refuge, only $1 pp for bicycle riders and tons of wildlife to see. A flat and beautiful road and trails (4 miles from start to finish if you don't go through the indigo trail). Highly recommend to get some outdoor wildlife time on the island, saw tortoises, raccoons, pelicans, egrets and herons!"

"While Sanibel Island is still recovering from Hurricane Ian, the drive through Ding Darling is open. We were there mid-afternoon so didn’t see many birds, it was peaceful and beautiful."