Da Bats, Da Austin Bats!

When I mentioned to people that I was head to Austin, the first thing thing everyone mentioned was that I must visit the bats. Bats? Why would I want to visit the bats?

Well, now I understand and I also will be telling people headed to Austin to spend some time watch the bats fly

Here is the back story....under the Ann W. Richards Congress Street bridge lives hundreds of thousands of bats.

 

Yes, you read that correctly. It is estimated on any given day anywhere between 750,000 and 1.5 million bats hang under the bridge. It is the largest urban bat colony in North America. This About.com article can give you much more information.

Just after dusk, the bats start to emerge and its a HUGE attraction in Austin. My sister and I went two of the three nights, we were in Austin.

The bridge is located right next to the Hyatt Regency that we were spending the first night at.

 



There are three options to view the bats: from the water, from the bridge or from the park.

From the Water:

One can rent kayaks, paddle boards or water bicycles and make your way right under the bridge. If this is to much work, Capital Cruises offers Bat Watching Boat rides that take you super close to the bridge and with someone on board to narrate what is happening. The cost is $10 per person and reservations are required. Here is a video to see how close you could get from the water:



All the options can be picked up right by the Hyatt Regency

 

 

From the bridge

 

The first night we went to walk the bats from the Congress Bridge. Most people stand facing away from the Hyatt. However, on the night that we went, turning around gave you this wonderful sunset.

 

 

One will need to get there early to get a spot on the railing. It was extremely difficult to see the bats, as my video shows:

 

One had to lean over and tilt your head to see the bats emerge and fly away. It was a sight to be seen, when you could see them.

From the Park

On our last night in Austin, we were by the bats again and decided to give it one more try. This time from the Statesman Park.

 

If you are driving, most people park in the Austin Statesman Newspaper parking lot. It filled up pretty quickly, so bring snacks and chill-out like we did for some time. People come with picnics, chairs, and lawn games and wait for the bats to move.

Then like Tattoo from Fantasy Island someone scream "da bats, da bats" and everyone runs closer to the bridge



 

The view from the park on that night was amazing. Here is the video I shot. It takes until about 30 seconds in to see them coming out in force...keep an eye by the bridge for the best view:



I am extremely happy that we went back to see the bats a second time. Watching them fly as a group is amazing experience. When you think all the bats are gone more and more and more come.

So next time you find yourself in Austin....go spend some time with the BATS!
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