Phinizy SWamp Day Hike

Juvenile Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia USA. September 27, 2025. Juveniles are all white in their first year, adults are blue gray.

Living in the Georgia Piedmont is wonderful. Not only do I have rich scenes full of natural beauty right around my own city, but other habitats are easily within reach for day hikes. In only 2 to 3 hours, I can be looking over the peaks and valleys of the North Georgia Mountains. A four-hour drive takes me to coastal waters and islands of Georgia and South Carolina. A five-hour drive transports me to the charm of the Spanish Moss-laden Old South. I can spend any given afternoon photographing in any ecosystem I desire and be back in my own bed by nightfall!

One of my favorite places to get my fix of a wetlands habitat is Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia. I’d typically have to drive over four hours to find such a rich habitat complete with long-legged waders and alligators. But Phinizy is less than 2 hours away! On this particular day hike I left my home at 7:00 AM, took in 3 hours of birding and wildlife photography, and was home by 3:00 PM for college football.

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park is an environmental wastewater treatment facility and waterfowl impound. According to their website, the City of Augusta was ordered to upgrade its wastewater treatment system in 1993.  Instead of releasing treated wastewater into Butler Creek, a series of wetland cells was created to further purify the water before being released into the Savannah River. Well maintained, wide paths circle the wetland cells making birding and wildlife viewing easy for even those who are unable to otherwise hike over rough or technical terrain. 

​It rained almost my entire drive from Athens. As I drove, I was worried that I was only wasting gas and time just to be rained out upon arrival. But thankfully all the rain stopped and I had several hours of dry time to hike Phinizy's paths... not even any drizzle! Then, on my drive home it began to pour again. So I was even more thankful for the pause in rainfall just for my outing. 

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, Augusta, Georgia. September 27, 2025
 - Mostly cloudy with a high of 81, low 71.
 - Sunrise 7:20 AM; Sunset 7:17 PM
 - Daylight hours: 11 hours, 58 minutes (-2m 2s)
 - Moon: 30% Waxing Crescent