J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge has three popular hiking trails: The Indigo Trail, The Wulfert Keys Trail and The Shell Mound Trail. The Indigo is the longer and more challenging trail, but all are great for viewing the spectacular wildlife that live in the refuge.
Boardwalk on Indigo Trail – Courtesy of Ding Darling Society
The Indigo Trail can be accessed in the parks Education Center Parking lot. This trail is 4 miles long round trip and is great for spotting alligators, night-heron, white ibis and more!
Mangroves along the Wulfert Keys Trail – Courtesy of FLoridaHikes.com
The Wulfert Keys Trail is a total of a half mile round trip and can be accessed via Wildlife Drive the parks main thoroughfare. This trail is popular for its awesome view of Pine Island Sound. Along with the great view you can expect to see brown pelicans, osprey and other large birds.
Dense vegetation on the Shell Mound Trail – Courtesy of FLoridaHikes.com
The Shell Mound Trail is a half mile long and focuses on the ancient Indians who used to populate Sanibel Island and southwest Florida. It has many informative panels explaining land marks and the surrounding environment. Like the other two trails you can expect to see many birds including migratory songbirds during the spring and fall migrations.
Hiking is a great way to learn about Sanibel Island. If your looking for a little exercise and a great time we recommend hiking at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. For more information visit our J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge page.
