The smallest, and newest, Texas state park is around 20 minutes away from Fredericksburg. Old Tunnel State Park is only 16.1 acres. The epicenter of the park is an abandoned railroad tunnel which provides a home to three million bats. The 920-foot-long tunnel was dug out mostly by hand to connect Fredericksburg to San Antonio by rail in 1913. By the 1940s, the railroad tunnel was abandoned.
It was purchased by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1991 to protect and manage the Mexican free-tail and cave myotis bats which had settled in the manmade tunnel. Locals discovered the bats after calling the fire department to investigate a plume of smoke. The plume turned out to be clouds of bats leaving the tunnel to hunt.
The Mexican freetails summer in the Hill Country from May through October before heading south. The cave myotis bats have made the tunnel their home year round. The park also offers a 1.5-mile nature trail.
The tunnel is located at 10619 Old San Antonio Road and is open from sunrise to 5 p.m. On May 1, visitors can watch the bats emerge from the tunnel for their nightly search for food.
Permits for entry into Old Tunnel State Park and fees for the bat viewing must be purchased online. No permits are sold onsite. Seats fill up fast for the bat viewing. Contact 866-978-2287, or visit texasstateparks.reserveamerica.com for more hours and information.
Old Tunnel State Park | tpwd.texas.gov
BAT FACTS
- There are over 1,300 different kinds of bats found in the world.
- Mexican free-tail bats can fly over 60 miles round-trip in an evening while foraging for insects.
- Mexican free-tail bats are important for keeping crop pests in check as they eat up to two-thirds of their body weight in insects every night.
- Bats can see well and they also use echolocation or bio-sonar to help navigate and find food.
- The oldest living confirmed insectivorous bat lived for 41 years.
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