Bat Viewing Destinations
Bats are found throughout the world, on all continents except Antarctica. Bats live in forests and woodlands, in the cracks and crevices of stone cliffs, and underground in caves and abandoned mines. Bats also live in urban settings too, in buildings and under bridges. Bats also roost in our backyards and neighborhoods, in hollowed-out trees and under eaves, shingles, and siding.
Watch for bats in your backyard, under streetlights, and near water sources. Click on this map to find bat viewing sites near you.
Orient Mine
Near Alamosa, Colorado, U.S.
Ghost-town mine becomes a vibrant migratory roost for a quarter-million bats.
Old Tunnel
Fredericksburg, Texas, U.S.
One historic railroad tunnel. Three million migratory bats.
Nickajack Cave
Near Chatanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
Uniquely, this bat-viewing destination is best experienced from a kayak, canoe, or paddle board.
Monfort Bat Cave
Samal Island, Davao, Philippines
An island resort paradise for humans and two million fruit bats.
Millie Hill Mine
Iron Mountain, Michigan, U.S.
Finding this bat-viewing site is part of the bat-viewing adventure.
La Gruta de Quintero
Quintero, in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico
This bat destination holds important clues to year-round behaviors of migrating bats.
Kasanka National Park
Zambia, Africa
One of Africa’s greatest wildlife spectacles with millions of migrating straw-colored bats
Eckhert James River Bat Cave
Mason, Texas, U.S.
Historic ranch with limestone cave that seasonally shelters a maternity colony of migrating bats.
Hartman’s Cave
Cherry Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Pennsylvania, U.S.
This cave is currently closed and close-up proximity to the cave is restricted. Read why.
Gomatong Caves
Sabah on the Island of Borneo
On the island of Borneo, bats and cave swiftlets share a series of limestone caves and conservation challenges.
Devil’s Sinkhole
Near Rocksprings, Texas, U.S.
If you think the name is thrilling, just wait to watch millions of bats emerge from this natural geologic wonder.
Congress Avenue Bridge
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Viewing the largest urban colony of bats in “Bat City” is a part of Austin’s culture.
Clarity Tunnel
Quitaque, Texas, U.S.
An abandoned historic railroad tunnel offers an insiders’ peek at roosting bats plus the wonders of bats in flight.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.
Stalagmites, stalactites, and spectacular bat flight programs in a national park haven for bats.
Bracken Cave Preserve
North of San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Visitors experience a “batnado” (rhymes with tornado) as millions of bats swirl upward into the darkening sky.
Bear Gulch Cave
Pinnacles National Park, California, U.S.
Walk through a bat cave, during times the bats are less likely to be disturbed.
Naracoorte Caves
Naracoorte, Southern Australia
A World Heritage Site with cave tours and bat viewing options.
Adventure Mine
Greenland, Michigan, U.S.
Tours of a historic copper mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula provide important messages about bat conservation.
Yolo Basin
Near Sacramento, California, U.S.
A wetlands causeway becomes the perfect roost for migrating bats to stage a nightly “flyout.”
Wyandotte Caves
Near Leavenworth, Indiana, U.S.
During summer months, explore an active bat cave where Endangered Indiana bats shelter for the winter.
Waugh Drive Bridge
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Urban bat viewing? How about bats over a bayou with Houston’s skyline as the backdrop?
Wat Khao Wongkhot Temple
North of Bangkok, Thailand, Asia
Visitors to a sacred historic temple witness nightly flights of a million or more bats.
University of Florida Bat Houses
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
College campus with more than 400,000 “resident bats”
Stuart Bat Cave
Near Brackettville, Texas, U.S.
This cave has a story of almost losing its migratory maternity bat colony – a story of restoration and rebirth.
Selman Cave
Between Freedom and Woodward, Oklahoma, U.S.
Considered a “living laboratory,” Selman bat cave is one of the largest known bat hibernation sites in Oklahoma.
Sauta Cave
Near Scottsboro, Alabama, U.S.
Witness hundreds of thousands of gray bats in night flights east of the Mississippi.
Pura Goa Lawah Bat Cave Temple
Bali, Indonesia
An ancient sacred bat cave temple in Bali offers intriguing stories.
Pemba Island
Tanzania, Africa
Hard-to-find African island bat sanctuary with thousands of mega-size flying foxes
Bracken Cave is the summer home of more than 20 million Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), making it the world’s largest bat colony and one of the largest concentrations of mammals on Earth. The emergence of these millions of bats, as they spiral out of the cave at dusk for their nightly insect hunt, is an unforgettable sight.
During the summer months, guests can expect to see a tornado of bats from rustic wooden benches in beautiful Texas hill country.
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