OLD TUNNEL STATE PARK FREE
However, the upper viewing area is still free to visit during those times. Old Tunnel State Park is free to visit, with the exception of viewing the bats from the lower viewing area on Sundays through Thursdays, May through October, in the evening hours.ĭuring those times, there’s a $5 fee per person (cash or check only, so come prepared!). If you’re driving to the park in the evening to view the bats, keep in mind that the final portion of the drive to the park takes place on small, two-lane rural roads, and it is very dark at night.įAQ About Visiting Old Tunnel State Park How much does it cost to visit the park? The exact address of Old Tunnel State Park is 101619 Old San Antonio Road, Fredericksburg, TX 78624. It’s about a 20-minute drive to the park from Fredericksburg and about a 15-minute drive from Luckenbach.įrom Austin, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to drive to Old Tunnel State Park, and from San Antonio, 1 hour and 10 minutes. Old Tunnel State Park is located in the Texas Hill Country, about 11 miles south of Fredericksburg along a small country road. Old Tunnel State Park discounts - what to see at Fredericksburg - check out reviews and 8 photos for Old Tunnel State Park - popular attractions, hotels. No children under 4 years old are allowed in the lower viewing area. The lower viewing area costs $5 per person to access (check or cash only, no change available) and is open to the first 70 visitors each evening it is open.
There are two places to watch the bats emerge in Old Tunnel State Park: the upper viewing area, which is located right by the park entrance and is free to access, and the lower viewing area, which is open to 70 visitors on Thursday through Sunday nights, May through October. Sometimes, they don’t come out until after dark. However, keep in mind that nature works on its own schedule and that viewing the bats is not a guarantee: some nights, the bats will emerge all at once in a spectacular show, other nights, only a few at a time. If you’re looking for a great place for a picnic lunch with Hill Country views, you can’t go wrong with heading out to Old Tunnel State Park! There are picnic tables located throughout the park, especially near the upper viewing platform, and the views are remarkable at any time of day. The views from the upper viewing area in particular are absolutely magnificent! Located both around the upper viewing area and along the nature trail, there are several informational billboards with details about the park’s history, ecology, and more. The nature trail does include walking up and down stone staircases built into the trail, and it is open until 5:00 PM each day. THINGS TO DO: Nature Viewing: Hiking Bird Watching Half-Mile Nature Trail Bat Emergence: (Tickets Required) The abandoned railroad tunnel that gives.
Bat viewing season is from May thru October, when visitors four and older can pay to access the bat viewing area on for the evening bat emergence. Īt 16.1 acres, it is the smallest state park in Texas.The Old Tunnel Nature Trail is merely a half-mile long each way and leads from the upper viewing area (which is located right at the park entrance) to the old tunnel itself, where you can observe the tunnel and the bats from a safe distance. Old Tunnel State Park offers visitors a scenic half-mile trail to wander, bird-watch, and view the bats. The bats emerge at sunset during the months of May through October, and viewing is open to the public. Since the shut down of the railway, the tunnel has become a bat cave, hosting over 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and 3000 Cave myotis bats. It is located halfway between Fredericksburg and Comfort on Old San Antonio Road. The property came under the care of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and was officially made a state park in 2012.
Old Tunnel State Park is a railroad tunnel of the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway, which ceased operations in 1942.
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