No Bad Days RVing: J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Just a little catching up before I start talking about Ding Darling. Yes, we are still in Bonita Springs. Again, we cancelled some of our plans opting to stay in one place while the pups are young. They are doing great, growing like weeds.

Fortunately, I was able to get away for a day of exploring. This time I made my way to Sanibel Island where the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located. As a barrier island it is fringed with shallow bays, white sandy beaches, and mangrove forests. For years the island was used by farmers but the hurricane of 1926 destroyed the agriculture industry. The building of the Sanibel Causeway in 1963 opened the flood doors for tourism.

As an avid hunter, fisherman, and political cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling became alarmed at the loss of wildlife habitat and the possible extinction of many species. Darling was instrumental in blocking the sale of environmentally sensitive land to developers on Sanibel Island by urging President Harry S. Truman to sign an Executive Order creating Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge in 1945. The refuge was later renamed in 1967 to honor Darling.

The refuge consists of over 6,400 acres of mangroves, seagrass beds, and hardwood hammocks.
Approximately 2,800 acres of the refuge is designated as a Wilderness Area. Today, the refuge provides a safe habitat for wildlife as well as a feeding, nesting, and roosting area for migratory birds. At different times of the year there are over 220 species of birds that call the refuge home.

Seeing the refuge can be done by vehicle, guided tram, bicycle, or walking. I decided ahead of time that biking was the way to go. The one way 4 mile Wildlife Drive is open every day except Fridays. The entrance fee is $5.00 per vehicle or $1.00 per pedestrian/bicyclist

My first stop was the mangrove forest where I was told to look for Mangrove Tree Crabs. Sure enough there were thousands of them just hanging out on the red mangrove trees.

Across the road I spotted a Snowy Egret waiting for a meal to swim by. He's not quite in breeding plumage yet.

As I continued down the wildlife drive I couldn't help but wonder why people where driving so fast. With all this beauty it's hard not to just sit and take it all in. I sure did.

At the half way point there's an observation tower that overlooks the refuge estuary. Several shorebirds, herons, egrets, pelicans, and so on can be seen. This is by far the most popular spot along the drive.

There are three trails that can be accessed from the wildlife drive. Wulfert Keys Trail is a 1/4 mile long trail that leads to a view of Pine Island Sound. This is where I got my first taste of the dreaded no-see-ums. Man I hate those little critters. And yes I forgot my bug spray, so I was out of there real fast. No pictures.

Closer to the end of the drive is the 1/4 mile long Shell Mound Trail. The boardwalk is a great opportunity to learn about the ancient Calusa Indians through interpretive panels.

Because the Wildlife Drive is 4 miles one way getting back is done via the 4 mile main bike path along Sanibel-Captiva Rd. A total of 8 miles got me back to my truck in time for some much needed lunch.

After lunch I still needed to see the Indigo Trail which is 4 miles round trip from the parking lot. Not being tooooo tired away I go. The Scat Education Bridge was 1/2 mile down the trail and yes it teaches you all about the scat found in the park. There's small boxes you flip open to tell which animal, bird, or reptile produced that scat.

Continuing down the trail an otter crossed my path. It's pretty tough to stop the bike, grab my camera, and take a picture while the otter wants to get away as fast as possible. So of course no picture, again. But I did manage a new red mangrove tree.