Old Tunnel State Park — Attraction in Comfort

I’ve lived in this area for decades, but this is the first time I’ve ever been to Old Tunnel State Park, which I just discovered a few days ago on Google Maps! It’s just a few minutes south of Fredericksburg, where the road is well-signed on Hwy 290. The main parking lot is pretty small, but a larger overflow parking is across the street. I’m not sure how long this has been a state park, but word has clearly gotten out that this is a worthwhile place to go whether the bats are in residence or not. The composting toilets are closed, with a sign indicating that they aren’t able to keep up with the crowds, so if you need a potty stop, you’ll need to use the porta potty in the overflow parking lot.

There is a nice overlook steps away from parking that must offer an amazing sight when the 3 million free tail Mexican bats are here and coming out from the tunnel to feed at dusk. Without the bats, the overlook simply looks downhill over where the train tracks would have led from the tunnel.

A very short groomed path leads downhill from here to a side view for watching the bat emergence, and from here you begin to get a whiff of the quite fragrant bat guano in the tunnel below. It’s not until you get down to the small footbridge that you can actually see the tunnel where the bats sleep. This tunnel served as a railroad tunnel for about 30 years in the early 20th century until disuse caused the rails to be dismantled.

A loop trail gives you the opportunity to get a few more steps along this tree-lined wet weather creek bed. It does have some elevation loss and gain, and it would be hot in summer, but it is very pretty if you are up for it and there at the right time.

Signs say that the bats arrive in about early May and are there until there migration in the late fall. The info board says you must make online reservations to stay after 5:00 to see the bats fly out. (See the photo with the reservation website address I am posting with this review.)

If you need food or drink, there is a charming cafe just a few yards on up the road toward Alamo...

Old Tunnel State Park is a unique and fascinating spot to witness millions of bats take flight at dusk. This spectacle, however, requires planning—especially during peak season. On our first attempt, we arrived late and without tickets, only to learn that entry requires advance online booking. If you’re visiting during bat season (there’s no reason to come otherwise), make sure you’ve secured your ticket ahead of time.

There are two viewing areas: the upper and the lower decks. The lower deck is slightly closer to the tunnel entrance and offers a marginally better view, but the difference is only about 40 feet. Each ticket costs just $2 per person. Early in the season, same-day tickets are usually available, but during peak months—especially August, when the bat population swells to about 3 million—you’ll need to reserve your spot up to a month in advance.

Volunteers enhance the experience by providing detailed information about the bats, their behavior, and answering all kinds of questions. This adds great educational value to the outing. While the bat emergence here is impressive in scale, it’s worth noting that the display can feel more distant compared to Austin’s bat bridge, where the swirling clouds of bats are more visually dramatic. At Old Tunnel, the bats fly low over the trees for quite a while and only rise into the sky much farther away, so you don’t quite get that same close-up “cloud” effect.

Still, this is a memorable and enriching experience—one that combines nature, education, and a bit of planning. A great evening activity for families, nature lovers, and anyone curious about Texas’ famous...

One of our Boy Scouts did his Eagle Service Project at this park and he invited the troop out to celebrate and experience the bat emergence. It was an absolutely fascinating experience. His project was great, but the park program was amazing. Mr. Benny was our host who kept even our youngest family members mesmerized by his stories of the train, the railway, and the bats. He talked as we walked down the old train track bed through tall, overhanging, shady trees. There was a light breeze that made this July evening in Texas bearable. There is a rustic seating area to view the emergence and only there did I smell the ammonia from the guano that pervaded the area. We arrived at the seating area just as the bats began to emerge at 7:15pm. The bats swept out of the tunnel, spiraled in a tornado formation to gain lift, and swarmed through a break in the trees up into the cloud-studded sky. The emergence only lasted 5 minutes, but our host said they estimated 300,000 bats lived in the tunnel. After the spectacular emergence, Mr. Benny continued with a few more stories. The Scouts asked a wide range of questions from how far the bats traveled each night to how did they count the number of bats. The love for this State Park was evident in all the staff members. I would highly recommend this stop to anyone interested in bats, but make sure you check with the park, because it closes at 5:00pm and evening visitors need a...