Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Road running along shallow cove

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Trails and stops along Wildlife Drive within Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, one of Florida’s best winter birding destinations.

Calusa Shell Mound Trail

Sanibel Island   0.4 miles

Near the end of Wildlife Drive, this accessible boardwalk loops a site revealing the ancient Calusa culture that once flourished on Sanibel Island.

Cross Dike Trail

Sanibel Island   0.3 miles

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.

Ding Darling 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.

Every Kid Outdoors

Got kids? If any of them are in fourth grade, they can get a free pass to ALL Federal public lands good for the whole family through the end of August. Here's how.

Indigo Trail

Sanibel Island   4.0 miles

Get to know mangroves for miles and miles on the linear Indigo Trail, open to hikers and cyclists as a parallel route on a levee that connects to Wildlife Drive near both ends.

Red Mangrove Overlook

Sanibel Island   0.1 miles

The shortest walk at the refuge, the Red Mangrove Overlook along Wildlife Drive provides a fine perspective for birding and for seeing mangrove crabs up close.

Step by Step

Life often feels like a headlong rush, until what's most important comes to the forefront. Here's what's been going on for us over the past couple months and our step-by-step efforts to get back to "normal."

Wulfert Keys Trail

Sanibel Island   0.5 miles

Does a crocodile smile? You might find out with a walk down the Wulfert Keys Trail, which follows a mangrove-lined canal to the edge of Hardworking Bay.