The Calusa Blueway’s 190 miles conveniently meander by Lee County’s bird magnet – the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island.

About a million people visit this refuge, which was named in honor of a pioneer conservationist and political cartoonist. The refuge consists of more than 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, cordgrass marshes and West Indian hardwood hammocks.

Oh, and the birds? Roughly 220 species use its habitat.

The thing is, most of the million visitors travel via Wildlife Drive on their bicycles or in their vehicles. But you can hope in a kayak or canoe and be on the backside of it all, and find yourself alone.

The easy way to visit: Start with the official outfitter for Ding Darling. It’s run by longtime Lee County paddler Wendy Erler and is called Tarpon Bay Explorers. Erler’s friendly staff will direct you from the launch site, past some mangroves and then up the Commodore Creek Trail.

This trail is marked well, though it’s so evident which way to go that you cannot get lost.

I paddled it recently – twice this month actually. Once was with my family and some tourist friends and then I visited again with a Canadian journalist. Twice I watched newcomers to Lee County enjoy the natural offerings of the trail.

I like to think of Commodore Creek as a wildlife buffet – you see a little of everything:

Herons common (little blue) and less-sighted (yellow-crowned);
Fish large (snook) and small (finger mullet);
Mangroves tall (as in towering) and tiny (as in their seedlings).

There also are dozens of shells – living creatures intact – on the creek’s bottom that you can see if you wear polarized glasses.

Tarpon Bay is also the launch site for those who want to bring their own canoes and kayaks. You can head across the bay and out into Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve – there are exits from the bay at both Maker F and Marker D.

Weaving in and out of the backside of Ding Darling is a bit Robinson Crusoe-ish and exhilarating. Plus the fishing from your kayak is phenomenal. This part of the island is the only place I’ve seen a mangrove cuckoo in these parts. In fact, the amount of birds and the variety is worth the trip in itself.

Become a commodore of the blueway. Visit Tarpon Bay, the Commodore Creek Trail and Ding Darling on your next trip.