
The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
was created to safeguard and enhance the
pristine wildlife habitat of Sanibel Island, FL, to
provide feeding, nesting, and roosting areas for
migratory birds, and to protect endangered and
threatened species. Today, the refuge provides
important habitat to over 250 species of birds.
“Ding’ Darling is one of more than 560 national
wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management
districts, including one within an hour's drive of
most major metropolitan areas, all managed by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
More than a hundred years in the making, the
National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System)
is a network of habitats that benefits wildlife,
provides unparalleled outdoor experiences for all
Americans, and protects a healthy environment.
In fact, the sun never sets on our 150-million-
acre federal Refuge System; there are refuges
as distant as the Mariana Islands in the Western
Pacific, above the Arctic Circle in Alaska, in the
northeast corner of Maine, all the way down to
the Virgin Islands and everywhere in between!
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CURRENT HOURS
WILDLIFE DRIVE
January / 7:00-5:30
February / 7:00-5:30
March / 7:00-6:00
(7:30 - 7:00 at DST)
April / 7:00-7:00
May / 7:00-7:30
June / 7:00-8:00
July / 7:00-8:00
August / 7:00-7:30
September / 7:00-7:00
October / 7:30-6:30
November / 7:30-6:30
(7:00 - 5:30 at ST)
December / 7:00-5:30
EDUCATION CENTER
May 1 - December 31
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
January 1 - April 30
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
HOLIDAYS ED CENTER OPEN
MLK Jr''s B''Day
President''s Day
ED CENTER CLOSED
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
New Years Day
Memorial Day
Columbus Day
Wildlife Drive is OPEN
every day except Fridays
regardless of Holidays
Please call (239) 472-1100 ext 233 for more information, or check out our site at dingdarlingnwr.com
Download a PDF map of the refuge.
- National Conservation Training Center
- Humboldt Redwoods State Park
- Minnesota Valley NWR at Rapids Lake
- Minnesota Valley NWR at Louisville Swamp
- Minnesota Valley NWR at Bloomington
- Humboldt Redwoods
- Kern NWR
- Salton Sea NWR
- Humboldt Bay NWR at Ma-le’l Dunes
- Valle De Oro NWR
- Desert NWR at Corn Creek
- Stillwater NWR
- San Diego Bay NWR Complex at Sweetwater Marsh
- San Diego Bay NWR Complex at South San Diego Bay
- Modoc NWR
- Okefenokee NWR
- Humboldt Bay NWR at Salmon Creek
- Oregon Islands NWR at Coquille Pt
- Oregon Islands NWR at Yaquina Head
- Oregon Islands NWR at Haystack Rock
- J.N. "Ding" Darling NWR