Phinizy Swam Nature Park is well known for its bird life: egrets, migrating ducks, herons, song birds and bald eagles. The park also hosts more dangerous creatures: alligators and poisonous snakes. A walk along the wetlands trails will usually result in seeing alligoators, either sunbathing on the banks on sunny days, or secretively drifting in the water hoping to ambush a swimming bird. Alligators' location is fairly easy to predict. The snakes, however, are quite unpredictabable; they can be anywhere at anytime. I reguarly, if not frequently, encounter cottonmouths and copperheads anywhere along the trails.
A search for this geocache will give you an opportunity to see wildlife in abundance along the mile and quarter walk either approaching from the north or from the south. However, one approach to the geocache will take you past a fequent sunbathing spot of an enormous alligator thus forcing you to detour and hike twice the distance. No matter which way you approach the cache, be on the lookout to avoid stepping on a poisonous snake.
Phinizy Swamp Nature park is open from 7 to 7. Night time visits not allowed, nor would want to given the creatures out there. Be sure to plan ahead for a safe hike: bring water, use good walking shoes, prepare for the hot, humid conditions of most of the year,
Congratulatins to Sought and Found, PlantStrong, and Evertonian0826 for the joint FTF and for sneaking past the alligators without stepping on a snake.