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Close up of dense seashells on shoreline

Sanibel Island

One of Florida’s most charming and popular barrier islands, Sanibel Island has a long history of drawing people to her shores to find spectacular seashells.


PARKS & TRAILS CLOSED indefinitely due to damage from Hurricane Ian.


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Resources

Resources for exploring the area
South Florida Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover  
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Exploring Sanibel Island

One of Florida’s most charming and popular barrier islands, Sanibel Island has a long history of drawing people to her shores to find spectacular seashells.

Oriented east-west instead of north-south, the island is legendary for its bounty of shells. It is legendary, too, for Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

The refuge was established in 1945 at the urging of nationally-renowned cartoonist J.N. “Ding” Darling to protect a large portion of the island from development.


Trails and Parks

Ding Darling Bailey Tract Bailey Tract One of the lesser-known trails at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is at the Bailey Tract, off Tarpon Bay Road. Loop around impoundments with great birding.
Blind Pass Beach, Sanibel Island Beach walk at Blind Pass Where's the best place on Sanibel to look for sea shells? It all depends on recent currents and storm deposits. We found a bountiful shell bank at Blind Pass Beach, where Sanibel and Captiva meet.
Calusa Shell Mound Calusa Shell Mound Trail A wheelchair-accessible boardwalk near the end of Wildlife Drive in Ding Darling NWR, the Calusa Shell Mound Trail provides a peek into the ancient history of Sanibel Island.
Ding Darling Cross Dike Trail Cross Dike Trail Connecting Wildlife Drive and the Indigo Trail, the Cross Dike Trail at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is an easy paved walk between two impoundments.
Stilt and a tiny mangrove Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Preserving more than half of Sanibel Island for the sake of its bird life, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is one of the top places in the United States to view rare bird species.
Indigo Trail Indigo Trail At Ding Darling NWR on Sanibel Island, the Indigo Trail is the easiest trail to access from the visitor center and the most popular, with up to 4 miles round-trip.
Red Mangrove Overlook Red Mangrove Overlook The shortest walk in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the Red Mangrove Overlook provides a fine perspective for birding - and watching mangrove crabs up close.
Wulfert Keys Trail Wulfert Keys Trail Does a crocodile smile? You might find out with a walk down the Wulfert Keys Trail, which follows a mangrove-lined canal at Ding Darling NWR to the edge of Hardworking Bay.

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NEARBY: Cape Coral, Charlotte Harbor, Estero, Fort Myers, Pine Island| PART OF: Southwest Florida

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Big Cypress Swamp. Everglades National Park. Florida Trail

Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

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The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

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Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

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50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Apps Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Tannic creek in tropical Florida setting

Telegraph Creek and Bob Janes Preserves

Telegraph Creek and Bob Janes Preserves
Grassy path through palms and oaks

Hickory Swamp Preserve

Hickory Swamp Preserve
Forest of pines and palms with a grassy trail through it

Alva Scrub Preserve

Alva Scrub Preserve
Path lined with cypress knees in cypress strand

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

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