1.5 Million Bats in Austin?!

Jun 15

If you find yourself out near downtown Austin around 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. between March and October, you might get to catch one of our most exciting animal attractions thousands of people come to Austin to experience. It is our Mexican Free-Tailed Bats that live under our Congress Avenue Bridge and help take care of our insect population.

Where to See The Bats

There are a few options to experience the incredible bats here in Austin:

From a Riverboat

Lone Star Riverboat has several tours that they give the public, but the one in particular to see the bats is called the Sunset/Bat Watching Cruise. There are other boats that give this tour (like Capital Cruises and Austin Tour Company) but I have only personally experienced the one from Lone Star. One of their boats has a lower deck that is air conditioned with a bar along with a top deck for the best view of the city and the bats. This cruise goes down Town Lake to see some beautiful greenery and other angles of downtown but ends up right next to the Congress Ave Bridge in order to catch the bats. The captain of the boat is well-versed in the bat’s behaviors so they are there to educate and entertain.

Prices:

Adults - $12
Seniors (60+) - $10
Children (3 - 12 years old) - $7
Children (2 and under) - FREE

From A Kayak

There are several companies that allow you to rent a kayak, stand-up paddleboard or give tours while on the water:

Live Love Paddle
- Bat Watching Tour: $45 per person (2 - 3 hour long tour. Kayaks, paddles, PFDs and drinking water provided on every trip). Reserve beforehand online.
Congress Kayaks
- Sunset Bat Tour: $50 per double kayak (2 individuals) + tax. (Includes equipment, guide and paddling lesson) Reserve beforehand but walk-ups are welcomed if tour is on and if space is available.
Austin Kayak Tours/Austin Paddle
- Bat Bridge Kayak Tour: $55 per person. (Water = $1, Waterproof Case Rental = $5)

A kayak or paddleboard is a great vantage point from the water to see the bats since you are about to control exactly where you want to float and see the bats fly out. However, you will have to be careful to not in the way of the riverboats out there who are also enjoying the sights.

The Mexican free-tailed bats have been recognized as Texas’s official state flying mammal.

From Bridge

From Land

On Top of the Congress Avenue Bridge

An easy option where you don’t have to reserve ahead of time is parking at a downtown public parking garage (like under the Ashton: 100 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701) or paid parking at the Austin American-Statesman (305 South Congress Ave) and walk over to the East side of the bridge to wait for the bats to come out from underneath the bridge. This option isn’t as good as the others because you’ll mostly see quick blurs of the bats go by and then the bats flying on the treeline while you’re usually standing shoulder to shoulder among strangers.

Statesman Bat Observation Center

There is a grassy knoll south of the bridge where people bring their chairs, blankets, picnic supplies and enjoy watching the bats flying above them and in front of them. The address is the same as the Austin American Statesman (305 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704), this would be where you would park.

Hotels

The new and beautiful Line Hotel (111 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701 ) is on the corner of Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez St which has an incredible rooftop bar, P6, and pool area with a view of the bridge.

Just down the street is the Four Seasons Hotel which has a great view from certain rooms but the restaurant doesn’t have a full view.

Bat Facts

Before you go to visit the nighttime critter eaters here are some facts* to learn:

The Mexican free-tailed bat colonies are the largest congregations of mammals in the world.
These bats are in caves in Mexico during the winter and migrate to Texas when it warms up, around February.
The bats can fly all the way up to 100 miles looking for food.
It’s incredibly important to have these bats around because they help consume the insects and need to be protected.

*Texas Parks & Wildlife - Keep Texas Wild

Enjoy the bats!

Cheers!