Austin may be known for it’s great music, tasty barbeque, and prestigious festivals, but…did you know that one of the most popular tourist attractions is actually bats?!
The Bats
Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. During the summer months (from early March to late October), approximately 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats call the city home.
Where to find them
The bats spend their days sleeping under the Congress Avenue bridge which spans Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. At dusk, they emerge to en mass to hunt bugs.
How to view them
Viewing the bats is easy. Around dusk, gather either in the American Statesman’s Viewing Area alongside the south east side of the bridge…or find a place along the east rail of the bridge itself. If you want the best view (and additional information) consider a bat viewing tour that allows you to get out on the water (Capital Cruises Bat Watching Tours, Lone Star Riverboats Bat watching tour, Live Love Paddle Kayak bat watching tour).
When will the bats make an appearance?
That depends. The time the bats emerge is variable and based on sunset, though usually in the summer months they leave the bridge sometime between 7:30-9:00pm. Some days they don’t make an appearance at all.
For the best chance to see the bats, visit in the late summer (Aug) as the hot, dry days tend to drive the bats to leave the bridge earlier to find food.
