Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge

Address:	1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel, FL 33957, USA
Phone:	+1 239-472-1100
Site:	dingdarlingsociety.org
Rating:	4.4
Working:	7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM Closed 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 13

Jeanne M.

How can you not love a place with a name like "Ding Darling?" Although Im not sure I would use "darling," but this is definitely an awesome natural preserve. There is a single, one-way road that circumnavigates the preserve. There are also several short walking trails, or you can rent bikes at one of the many locations in the area. You can pull off the road anywhere for closer exploration and photos. There is a self tour to which you can listen as you go. It tells you the highlights of the specific area for each stop. Naturally, there is lots of water and wildlife, particularly birds. Our favorite was a roseate spoonbill, standing out among the herons and other waders. There were kingfishers, grebes, pelicans and all sorts of other birds, scattered everywhere. As at the lighthouse, the beach is composed of broken shells, rather than the sand we see on the beaches here in Ft. Lauderdale. If youre lucky, you can find some really cool shells, from sand dollars to conchs. The shelling was better here than it was at the lighthouse. No matter where you go, there is plenty of opportunity to explore the beauty of FL, close up.

Susyn Stecchi

I have lived in Florida for over 30 years and this is the first time I have visited the refuge. Glad I did. There were some interesting things to see. The visitor center is free along with some of the walks. The wildlife drive is just $5 per car, and leashed dogs are permitted in the refuge. I went there with my 2 dogs and drove the Wildlife Drive. A lot of people apparently come here to catch crabs and fish, judging from all the people out in the water doing that along the drive, and may others with very long-lens cameras were busy capturing the wildlife on film. My two dogs enjoyed the scenery, windows down in the car. One of them chuffed and I looked and saw this unidentified bird at the edge of the road all fluffed up trying to scare us -- a real tough guy but fun to look at. It smelled brackish, which you would expect when you are right there next to the ocean. I enjoyed the drive, and would do it again by bicycle the next time I am back this way.

Susan Szoke

As a lifelong Floridian, this is too typical of Florida for me. I never have been motivated or able to time my visit for dusk or dawn. Thats when Im sure all the fauna can be glimpsed the best. During the hot day there is nothing much moving but some crabs on the mangroves and some birds. Birds that arent new to me. Interesting crabs, though, because they ARE new to me.Theres options to walk or drive around the park. Different paths, though. If youre new to the south, youll still see some unexciting cabbage palms, palmettos, brush, and mangroves. Go at the right time and youll probably see some good pelicans, osprey (seahawks) and who knows? Racoons! I cant forget those thieves. The rest is a mystery to me. I do appreciate the large area set aside for nature to thrive. No, you wont see the Key deer here. Theyre on Deer Key for the most part.

Peter Osburg

Sehr netter Park, beeindruckende Natur. Man kann dort wandern, eine Fahrradtour unternehmen oder vs 4 Meilen mit dem Auto durch den Park fahren. Wir haben Letzteres gemacht und haben immer wieder angehalten nach Lust und Laune. Hauptsächlich kann man unterschiedlichste Vögel beobachten. Wir hatten das Glück und sahen kurz vor der Ausfahrt noch einen Alligator. Für die 5 Dollar Eintritt macht man nichts falsch.

Carrie Powell

Been here a few times now and have never been disappointed. Birds are plentiful and diverse, mammals and reptiles can be seen with a little bit of patience, and its wonderful to be immersed in such an amazing ecosystem among the flora and fauna. Thank goodness this area has been set aside to be preserved and we should be grateful its here for us to enjoy and discover! Dont let the bad reviews fool you....this place is great....prepare to put in a little effort and hone your critter-seeking skills and you wont be let down. Dont forget to walk Bailey Tract, too, and take your camera or binoculars!

April Sumner

We are from the Tampa Bay area of Florida. This looked like our back yard really. We did not see much wildlife on the trail. Maybe it was an off day. Id say skip it if you live in Florida. I know someone whos mother absolutely adores this place though and makes a trip down every year to visit so if you dont live around here, its probably worth your time. Florida is beautiful! I will say that the educational center was top-notch, free, and worth a stop-in even if you are from Florida. The kids will really like it. The volunteers are knowledgeable and friendly too.

Sylvain Soucaze

Attention, ne pas croire que cst un recreation park comme ceux dans les keys. Ici aucun accès à la plage ou activité ludique. "Seulement" un parcours à faire en voiture (!) pour découvrir faune et flore. Si vous avez déjà fait la mangrove ailleurs, cest ici dispensable.

Susanne Ziems

Dies ist ein schöner Park für einen spannenden Ausflug durch die Natur. Es erstreckt sich eine wunderschöne Landschaft mit einer vielzahl an Tieren. Man fährt mit dem Auto ganz gemütlich durch den Park. Und wenn man Lust hat zum Laufen, steigt man einfach aus.

Ryan Miller

I went with high hopes due to the TripAdvisor rating, but unfortunately was disappointed (not the end of the world for the $5 admission fee). Im not sure if I happened to go at the wrong time of day or just got unlucky but I found myself on a 7-mile seagull-viewing tour with a few other birds in the distance. I didnt see any animals aside from birds, but the forestry was kind of nice. I think this is something suited for bird watchers or photographers, and not a family-vacation-esque activity.

Pamela Smith

My son and I took the 10 am Tram Tour of the refuge today, with Don Parsons as our driver and tour guide. A fantastic tour with a man who is excited about his work and sharing his knowledge. Well worth spending the time for the tour. We learned so much. Thoroughly enjoyed it, loved it and would highly recommend it for all ages. We plan on returning later this week to drive the route and see if there is any chance of seeing some of the wildlife that was not available today. Absolutely fabulous.

Steve Penn

This is a must see for anyone. The bike trail, made of crushed sea shells, offers many pull off areas in which to view wildlife. Waterfowl and fish are everywhere. This could take you an hour or a day, but it wasnt particularly busy. Remember to bring cash for your donation to use the bike trail. Upon taking the bike path, you end up on the asphalt which is fine if you have a bike. Walking it would be a really long loop, so plan for a ~3 mile walk if you are on foot.

Julie Rien

Le parc est très agréable! Nous avons fait le parcours en voiture, les arrêts pour pauses photo ou autres, sont très pratiques. Vous y verrez plein doiseaux facilement. A vous douvrir les yeux pour trouver un alligator ou des tortues!

Steve Tishko

Although heavy rains prohibited us from the Wildlife Drive, weve been here many times in the past. Sometimes there are spectacular views of animals in their habitat and sometimes none, but the peace and tranquility of the preserve is really the big takeaway here. The visitors center is a must-do. Dozens of interactive displays and exhibits. The volunteers here are very well informed on virtually all aspects of the preserve as well as flora and fauna.