Congress Avenue Bridge

Fun free activity to do if you're in Austin! Crowds already post up well before the bats start emerging at sunset, so keep that in mind. When we went in September, it was a little past 7:45 PM for them to come out. You can view them from atop the bridge or at the bottom viewing areas at the sides. It is also super neat to see all the boats of all sizes just gather in the water to witness the bridge as well. Very cool! When the bats start emerging, my god DO THEY emerge. At first it's a trickle of a couple of them from one side and then it's a massive rush of them from the middle and then the other side. Some of them linger around the bridge and go back and forth too. I'll be honest, even with glasses on they kinda look like bugs or birds swarming around, but if you look closely enough or have binoculars, they distinctly have bat wings. I'd need someone more science minded to explain but from under the bridge I felt drops of water that I was praying wasn't guano or bat piss but my friends on top of the bridge felt it too??? Not sure what it was (hopefully not guano). Definitely worth doing at least once!

This is a fun thing to do while visiting downtown Austin. It's a cute area and it's full of tourists and there is a trail where lots of locals run and bike at night so it's not scary. You definitely have to pay attention as it's not swarms of bats that come out all at once but more like a handful every so often. We tried viewing it from on top of the bridge as well as below and I honestly couldn't tell you which is better.

Here you'll find the largest urban bat colony in North America!! And today is International Bat Appreciation Day - so I'm finally getting around to writing this review haha!! It's also National Haiku Day - so I wrote my first ever haiku...about bats of course lol! Here goes: Consumer of mosquitoes How important you are Loved, feared, misjudged, and revered There are an estimated 1.5 million bats here seasonally - and seeing them fly out to feed is definitely an unforgettable experience. If you time it right and come see them in August at the end of their breeding season, you can see five huge plumes of bats pouring out from under the bridge and streaming out across the Austin skyline. I visited in mid April and got lucky with three large plumes! They emerged shortly after the sun went down and it lasted for a good hour. I made sure to come at dusk two nights in a row - the first night I just hung out in the park under the bridge along with hundreds of others - some standing up on the bridge. The second night I took one of the many boat tours offered that gets you out onto the Colorado River under the bridge and gives you a different perspective. Both were great - and I highly recommend the boat too bc they take you directly under the bridge and you can hear all the bats squeaking - very cool experience! There were also tons of people on kayaks. The bats that live here are Mexican Free-tailed Bats - and they eat approximately 10,000 to 30,000 lbs of insects each night!! Mostly mosquitoes too which is amazing bc Texas is just packed full of those horrid buzzing little beasts lol. Bats are also major pollinators. Definitely one of nature's great spectacles that everyone should try and see at least once - add it to your bucket list!

This is unique situation fort the historic bridge with bay living space. The engineer who designed this bridge use a simple slab panel with gap between panel. The gap was big enough to become the perfect habitat for this type of bats. We were there at April and luckily to see the bat flights in the evening. When the sun set, the bats come out. The best part to see the bay is from the bottom of the bridge southeast of the bridge. You can take the boat tour for bat flying. The easy way is to see on the bridge or the park on the southeast of the bridge. Parking fee is steep for this area. There animal people using the red light to shine on the groove of the bridge and make the bat come out. I don't mint they do that so many people can see it. It is great to see the flight. Hundred of bats come out in the same time make this spectacular.

One of the coolest things to do in Austin in my opinion and it's free! There are several websites that give you details on the best time to go, etc. I recommend seeing the bats from the both the ground and the bridge; there are so many that you have time to do both in one trip without rushing. You could also see them on a kayak tour which looked cool but they did head back earlier than we did on land so you if you want to watch until the end I wouldn't recommend that. We saw 53% of the colony the night we went, according to a local website, and that still took at least twenty minutes!

I loved BUTSCAB! Oh, we're calling it Bats Under the South Congress Avenue Bridge now? OK. This was one of the must-dos on my Austin trip. We got there early and waited almost two hours. No bats. Could have been the rain (or even the eclipse), but I didn't mind because guess what celebrity was waiting at the bridge very near to us? Michael Peterson! I could have died!

We got there a bit late. It took longer than we expected to find parking near the bridge. So, we caught only the tail end of the bats and in the darkening night sky it became increasing difficult to see the bat stragglers leave their bridge roost. However, it was fun and free to see this Austin activity and enjoy the Austin skyline at dusk.

So much fun! We had to wait a good 40 minutes but it was worth it. A little hard to see at first. The crowd made it fun too, ooh-ing and ahh-ing

If you don't know. Austin is known for their Mexican free tail bats. We have millions of them come and take home under the Congress bridge. People will stand on the bridge at dusk. SUP, boat tours etc, come out to watch the bats fly out for their dinner during the night hours. You'll see them come out in a swarm, it's a fascinating site. Tonight we were not that fortunate. Either it's too late in the season and they have flown back to Mexico, or it was just an off night. Didn't see them in swarms like I have in the past. But we did see them. It's a pretty cool sight, and the bridge is packed with spectators during the summer months.

Hard to give a rating for this as it was a blow-out for me. Waited 1.5hr after sunset and didn't see anything and we had to leave for a dinner reservation. We went in late Sept. Also, the sun had set enough that it was so dark that I highly doubt you'd be able to tell it was a flock of bats. I think timing in the year plays a really big role in your view so do more research than me and figure out the best time of year.

At dusk just before it gets dark out the bats head out to forage for food. They fly up from under the bridge and are a sight to behold. You will see people gathering above and below the bridge to take in the sight. The only thing to beware of is you will be hanging around for a bit so you should bring water, have patience, and a large colony of bats have a strong scent that you will encounter - masks help a bit for those who can't stomach it.

One of the coolest free events in Austin. Get there a little early to see well. An amazing spectacle of how life persists. Try watching on the bridge and underneath on the trail. Both cool views.

My first time in Austin...this a beautiful city and downtown is a sprawling haven for great food, soulful music, lively people, and some friendly hat tippers... Everyone visiting Austin needs to come and see this awesome wonder. 1.5million bats coming out to feed. Mother Nature is beautiful and scary and am lucky enough to check this off my bucket list! Staying weird in Austin, thank you....

We stopped here as our last stop in Austin. We watched from under the bridge near the parking lot located at 305 S. Congress Ave.. you are supposed to pay for parking. We didn't. We took the gamble and was okay. We got there at 8:45 pm and was gone by 9:15 pm. We also had someone stay behind in the car. The bridge was full but the lot and the area next to the lot was not full. There was an ice cream truck and a man on a bike selling ice cream. At about 9:00pm some of the boats in the water placed a red light on the area of the bridge the bats emerged. You can definitely hear them chirping prior to their emergence. It was pretty spectacular to watch a few emerge and a steady stream of hundreds come out. We only watched for 10 minutes. My son watched from the bottom and raced to the bridge to get a different angle and said under the bridge was a better view. It was just one of those natural phenomenal experience we wanted to experience.

This was so cool BUT I highly suggest you view the bats from below the bridge and not from the bridge. We were told, if the bats have a big feeding one night they may not come out the next night. It was very cool to see them fly out.

Me and my family stood outside for 2 hours to see 20 bats come out at splattered times. The amazing and beautiful pictures you see online make you want to come and see this experience, the pictures are very misleading after you actually see it. It was not like it was just me and my parents it was a group of people. There were people that payed for boat rides and kayaks and paddle boards, probably 1,000-2,000 people on top of the bridge, people under the bridge, and on each side of the bridge. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder. We were told that the bats would come out around 8:30 we did not even see 1 until 9:15!! It was so hot outside as well. I will not be coming back.

This is something you have to do if you are in Austin. It's amazing to watch and it's fun to join the crowd and wait for creation to show off.

One of the largest bat colonies in the country? Count Me in. We were worried that it was going to be too early in season but it got to almost 80 degree this day so we were hoping the bats would take this as a 'it is time to get out'... we got to see hundreds of bats, but all just very sporadically. Not hundred or thousands coming out in waves but still super cool to witness. Albeit a little creepy. Sure would be nice if they'd figure out a way install a few live cams so more people could check this out. Maybe charge a few bucks so we could help support the city?

Even in all the heat when we visited and waiting about 45 mins. for then to come out, it was awesome to see the bats in flight.

I think I was a little Earley to watch the bat fly there were there but not to many more people them bats

Visited in April and crowds waiting for the bats to emerge were huge (post eclipse crowds). I thought it felt too cold to me for bats, but seeing how many people crowded the bridge, and both shores on either side of the bridge, I figured they must know something I don't. Nope, many more people than bats emerged that night. We did see a few bats, especially when looking into the lights of the hotels and you can hear their squeaks. I would recommend checking the Bat Refuge website, they do a nightly prediction of what you might see. Would love to come back in summer and try again. We found some cheap street parking along the side streets on the North side.

Beautiful first site at Bat seeing! I have never seen them before and was shocked on how small they all were and they look a lot smaller in person. During May the bats tend to come out around 9 when it's pitch black outside and it was kind of difficult to see but still saw some (: These are the things that make Austin Have the slogan it does.. Keep Austin Weird! P.S - You can caught them from on top of the bridge or at the bottom.

ITS FRICKIN BATS... no, it wasn't. we waited almost 2 hours and saw maybe 6 bats. the bugs on the water were horrid so we were hopeful to see a bit of a show ! nopeeee, i feel sorry for the people who paid to be on the boats. very cute location tho.

Bats send out scouts at dusk; then they begin flying out when they feel they aren't at risk of predators. Most of the bats I saw were coming from the south side of the bridge at the beginning of the walk path. From the marker "FRIGGIN BATS" one can see the best view of the bats flying out for the night. Stay spooky Austin.

This is pretty cool and inexpensive way to spend the sunset hours if you're the nature type. Since we already visited Bracken preserve two night earlier, and the whole afternoon was rainy , we didn't wait long enough to see the bats, specially since when skies are cloudy it's more difficult to spot them.

I'm pretty sure Gotham City is Austin, TX. Why wouldn't Batman not be from where the largest bat colony in the country is located? Hearing that this is the number 1 tourist attraction in Austin, I'd figure why not? My gf and I went to this viewing area underneath the bridge around 6:30PM to witness this pretty cool phenomena. There wasn't a swarm of them like you see in the pictures, but there were a few hundred flying in random directions you can witness. It might sound creepy at first, but it really isn't. You'll be surrounded by many other onlookers eagerly waiting to watch Batman arise from underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge.

Awesome place to view some bats just have some patience. People said they would come out at sunset, but they didn't come out until about 9:20 PM.

I'll tell you the low down on the bats. You don't have to come too early like people say. Sundown was listed at 8:30 and we arrived at 8:05 and there were a lot of people standing below the bridge and on the bridge waiting. We parked at the south end of the Congress bridge. There is a large parking lot that is run by the city and you have a good visual view under the bridge. You scan a QR code from a sign to pay for parking. Parking was a little over $11 for an hour. Parking should be in shorter increments because if you get there at the right time you only need to wait and see them for 10 to 15 minutes and then leave. I expected a bigger cloud of bats but it was entertaining for a few minutes. They are pretty silent even though there were thousand of them. If you've never seen bats like this I would go and see them once, but once is enough. If you have young children it's definite must see. They would like it.

Had to check this out with my kids while we were visiting Austin. I don't know where there's parking close to this place, but we were parked in the Austins Visitors Center and just walked around. A good indication on which side the bats are located under the bridge is lookout for the kayakers and paddlers. I noticed they crowding around the opposite end of the bridge so my kids and I (originally sitting on the ground level lawn) went on top of the bridge. We crossed the street on the opposite side away from the sunset because the bats came out flying away from the sun. They came out in waves. The sun set at 7:30pm, but we only stayed for until 8pm and left. There were hundreds of bats and it was a very simple, but cool experience. You don't pay for nothing and it's a free viewing.

Did this a few years ago, and it was absolutely amazing! Well worth it. Try to go at peak bat times. Find out from the locals when that is. We did it a little bit differently and took a paddleboard tour with Austin Rowing, which was fabulous and the best choice. No crowds. No view impeded. Just the serene sound of water and watching one of nature's mysteries.

The only people not giving this a 5/5 don't understand the significance of the bats nor the history surrounding the bat bridge. I would recommend those submitting less than a 5 to read some books, listen to the podcasts talking about the importance of these bats. The fact that over a million bats come soaring out of the bridge and you can see this swarm, yet people are giving it less than a 5 just proves they are uncultured swine. Seriously; as I write this I don't understand, like I mentally cannot comprehend how this place gets a bad review. We're they mugged by a bat? Did a bat stand them up on a date? We're the bats talking crap about their family as they flew by? Why are they so against these bats? There's no reason not to go to this place and view the bats. Seriously. Just like I'm blown away. Go see the bats.

My experience for witnessing the bat flights was just okay. The biggest problem was that they were so small in size...it was virtually impossible to get any decent photos of them up close. As I reflect on my photos...the swarm of bats coming out from underneath Congress Avenue Bridge appeared like a bunch of mosquitoes. I guess my expectations were too high for this unique happening here in Austin, Texas. I took a couple of videos of the bats flying but again they didn't really chirp and since this was happening during sunset...it was hard to see other than looking at a hurricane of tiny flying objects busting out into the night. Also, after the first 5 minutes of watching the bats flying out from under the bridge...the whole spectacle got pretty monotonous. In all, the entire waiting process with everyone standing along Congress Avenue Bridge and underneath it, all for one big moment...I questioned to myself..."so now what? Lol". Regardless, it's an interesting spectacle special to Austin and it's one of the most recommended free activities for those visiting Austin. I'd like to give a few background points about my time here at Congress Avenue Bridge (with and without the bats)..... - I never expected this...but from the bridge and looking towards downtown Austin...the city skyline was beautiful! Who would have thought? I had no expectations but I was snapping a bunch of pictures of Austin's tall skyscrapers with the Colorado River running through the city. It was very scenic! - Also, once the sun set and it was completely dark outside...the night skyline of Austin's buildings reflecting onto the Colorado River was terrific! The reflections were perfectly symmetrical with the water and from either side of Congress Bridge, I had wonderful perspectives of the night skyline! Plus my photos came out wonderfully! I highly recommend hanging out on Congress Avenue Bridge for evening picture taking...especially during pleasant summer months. - The bats flying from underneath happens during springtime and running through early autumn. I had read that they depart at night to hunt for food for the evening. - When I visited Austin in early September...I came here to Congress Avenue Bridge on a Friday night and the bridge was packed with people! Folks arrived here early to grab the best viewing spots. And...it's not just from along the bridge. There's a grassy/picnic area below the bridge that people were camping out on for their positions to watch the bats. Actually, there may have been more folks underneath the bridge than on top of the bridge. - The bats flying out lasts like 45 minutes, but after a few minutes and once the sun officially sets...everyone leaves the area...because...when it's almost pitch black outside...it's just very hard to see the bats aside from the fact the bats are minuscule looking to begin with. - If you do watch these bats flying from underneath the bridge, there's a parking lot for your car. Though...it's a metered parking lot so after you exit your car...you have to pay a small fee at the machine. But...instructions at the machine were for you to remember your parking number and then enter it into the machine. But...there were no parking spot numbers next to your car! So...I wondered how do you enter your payment without having a spot number engraved into the cement??? People were standing in line at the machine but I decided to skip paying since I had no number. Well...I never had any issues in regards to getting a parking ticket. That was strange. And this was for September of this year - 2020. - From this entire Congress Avenue Bridge...it wasn't just people packing above and below the bridge. There were folks in kayaks hanging out as well as plenty of boats and tours along the Colorado River...all in order to have the best viewing points. So, yeah can do an evening boat tour where I noticed most boats were facing with the direction of the sun so when the bats finally appeared...they would be photographed within the best possible lighting. - In the end...I actually came here to Congress Ave Bridge for 2 consecutive evenings. 1 night I stood on top of the bridge...and 1 night I stood below the bridge. Ultimately, I never fully got the chills...ya know...that sort of monumental moment witnessing animal behavior in pure nature. Still...for a free evening activity...watching the bats was still worth it...and at least I have a story from my experience. Funny, for me...my most memorable moment from Congress Avenue Bridge bat flights was actually the perfectly lit up Austin night skyline with buildings and skyscrapers reflecting off into the Colorado River. My best pictures came from standing on the bridge and enjoying the wonderful setting during a clear (without a cloud in the sky) fantastic looking evening.

I didn't think that I would like to see a bunch of bats, but this was a super fascinating sight to see! All of the information boards about the bats were really interesting, too. Also, the Austin Bat Refuge link was really helpful--with detailed information about the times the bats come out and which way they fly, etc. We were able to get some really good photos and videos of the bats, and it ended up to be a really fun pre-Halloween activity!

Coolest thing ever! Get there ten minutes before sunset. No need to stand around for an hour ... it won't make them fly out any faster. We viewed from almost directly under the bridge on the walking path on the SOUTH side of river, just to the the side of bridge facing EAST. That's the direction they fly out. The "show" lasted about 10 minutes. It was an amazing sight to see! Highly recommend!

"Batseeing" was definitely the highlight of my trip to Austin! The spectacle of masses of tiny, dark-grey creatures flying from under the bridge into the darkening skies at sunset, is not to be missed. The best spot for viewing the bat migration is from standing on the bridge, not under, like so many people who gather there daily. From the vantage point of the bridge, you can marvel at the breathtaking juxtaposition of a stream of grey creatures against the colorful sky. The timing varies a bit daily depending on sunset hour, so I suggest getting to the bridge 15 minutes before official sunset time. The spectacle does not last long--five to ten minutes, depending on the evening. Bats fly out in groups, so hang out a bit even after most of the people leave--you will be treated to the final group's flight once the sky almost fades into the darkness. How can you objectively rate the miracle of nature? The only reason why my review is four stars is because the migration is not visible every single evening. I got lucky to witness it during good weather day, but a week later, when it was cloudy & windy, the bats didn't fly out in groups for two nights in a row. So luck is necessary to experience such an event. I'd be very disappointed if I haven't seen it the first time.

Bats are small, quick, and come out at night. If you come too early the mosquitoes will feast on you before the bats feast on them. I recommend coming to the area UNDER the bridge right before sunset - seeing the bats zoom by in front of the street lights above, and then leaving. Really isn't much to see, but a check off the list.

I have never been more excited about something. I know that it was something that looked like a tourist trap but I still had to go. After weeks of watching YouTube videos about the bats I knew kinda what to expect but nothing really prepared me for my majestic amazement. We talked to some of the people who were walking to see the bats. One lady gave us the down low on where to stand to see the best view. That is what I loved about Austin, everyone was so friendly and helpful! We got in our spot and you could hear the bats chirping from under the bridge. Waiting in anticipation everyone was mingling around and talking. Some people even brought blankets to relax on. We didn't know exactly when the bats would come. We called the bat 1-800 number and they said between 7:25-8:45 but it all depends on in sunset. It was amazing once it started. If you have time, go to just watch the 1.3 million bats exit their home. Honestly, it looked like a water hose of bats!! So much fun and well worth it!!

Lovely park. I saw a few bats but no swarm. I guess they didnt feel like coming out. You can park in the free spaces all around and just walk to the bridge. If you need a bathroom, on top is a hotel. Just walk in and use it. Facing the sun and you're on the right side of the river. Hotel is hyatt.

If you come to Austin this is a must. There is three ways of viewing these Mexican tailed bats, stand on the bridge, at three bottom trail or rent canoe or tour boat. We got here right on time before sunset 7:20 and saw tons of bats . If you appreciate nature, you'll appreciate this phenomenal ordeal

It's an out of this world display of nature. You've never seen so many bats and they just keep pouring out from under the bridge for a half hour or so at dusk in the summer. Best viewing spots are on the sidewalk.

Ok, let me lead of by saying sunset and sundown are not the same thing. Even with that knowledge, I did not see the bats and I stayed 30 minutes past sundown. I got there about 30 minutes before sunset so that I could get a good spot. It was a decent crowd, but not too cramped and I was able to get a good spot. I would recommend checking out Austin Bat Refuge's website before you go. They will give you past bats' flight time, sunset and dark times along with go viewing spots, optimal times to go and other information to make your visit there a good one. You can either watch from the bridge (south side is best), from a kayak or canoe on the River, or a park below the bridge. If you are going on the bridge beware of the electric scooter and bicycles. Some of them come whizzing by. My review would have been much high if I had seen a bat. I heard that it is amazing. With that being said bat flights are unpredictable and can only be forecasted. So, just go in knowing that you may not see a bat.

Keep Austin Weird! This slogan stands more and more true as I find more places to do in this city. What's weirder than that, is that I'm surprised this even has a yelp page! In case you were wondering, it's free (except for parking). If you haven't experienced it yet, you definitely can't miss going to this. Every day at sunset when the weather gets warmer, thousands of bats come out from under the bridge to find food (don't worry not us, but small insects!). I was there near the end of March about the third week. It's chilling seeing so many bats fly out from under. I tried looking under the bridge before they came out and I couldn't see any at all! So I'm surprised there were so many hiding from plain sight. It's such a cool scene watching nature doing it's thing. The community was pretty fun, lot's of people gathered on both sides of the bridge, on the bridge, and in the water watching the bats come out. There's also an ice cream man that goes around selling ice cream and of course I had to buy (how can you say no to ice cream?). Unfortunately though you have to pay for parking... The day I went, the website weren't working properly so collectively everyone who parked that time with me decided not to pay haha.

Interesting place that everyone goes to look for bats. There must be thousands. By the time they flew out it was dark. So you don't see a big exodus of bats. You have to see them with a light behind them to know they are leaving. Still cool touristy thing to ddo

We had planned a Halloween bat boat tour but the flooding in the area cancelled our plan. We ended up walking to the Congress Bridge and waiting for the bats to take off after the sun set at 6:45. We waited about 20 minutes. It was very windy that evening so when the bats came out from under the bridge the wind took them right back under. Still a pretty neat experience. As we were waiting you could look out in the distance and see thousands of bats fling over the area.

You have to come here. It's so awesome. I think if you have to pick one thing to do in Austin, this is it. This was easily my highlight. It's the largest bat colony in North America and you watch them come out. If you grew upon Batman, you'll love this. Even if you didn't you still have to come here.

While visiting the Austin area everyone says you have to watch the bats take flight at night, so I did. Listening to all of the anticipating onlookers I was expecting a scene from Dracula to occur :). Although I was on top of the bridge It was cool to them all come from under the bridge, apparently it looks better from the ground. People actually kayaked on the river watch the nightly show. It is one of Mother Nature's best shows to watch.

This was such a neat experience with the family! The sunset is beautiful and the bats cover the orange/pink sky. We arrived at 7:45 pm and the bats started exiting their sleeping quarters around 8:05 pm. Definitely recommend if you are visiting Austin!

There are many wonderful things about our little blueberry here in the heart of the Lone Star State and our local seasonal, urban freetailed bat colony must be in the top 10. I am reminded of our special flying friends every time I run on the Butler Trail (aka Town Lake Trail) and cross under Congress Avenue, where the scent of guano and the sounds of chirping bats are unmistakable. During the summer, when my run is timed just right with the sunrise, I even get to see them returning to their nests in the crevices under the bridge. In general, the bats are here from around March to November and come out in massive waves of 1000s at dusk to devour insects each evening. They're especially active in the summer, and we even have a festival to celebrate them in August. http://www.roadwayevents.com/event/bat-fest/ (2018 - see https://www.yelp.com/events/austin-bat-fest-2). To find out *exactly* when the bats are in town & what time to expect them to make a show, check this website http://www.batcon.org/our-work/regions/usa-canada/protect-mega-populations/cab-intro/cab-emergence-times or call 512-327-9721 (or 1-800-538-BATS) and follow the prompts. The bats are only here during the warmest parts of the year and when it gets too cold, they fly to their winter vacation home in Mexico. Don't be mad if you didn't check the facts before you drove all the way over here and paid a pretty penny to park! In the summer months, be sure to wear insect repellent. The bats come out for mosquitos, and the mosquitos are here for you! Never touch a bat if you see one on the ground. If it's on the ground, it's sick and you need to stay away. Sick bats may have rabies. There are several ways to take in this glorious site, some free, some for a fee. If you're a cheapskate like I am, then park in the free lot or on the street somewhere a few blocks away and jog over to the Austin American Statesman parking lot to chill out on the lawn with the other gawkers. Lots of folks like to just stand on the bridge or its sister bridge on South 1st to take in the view from there. The outdoor terraces on the 5th and 6th floors of the new Austin Central Library might be good, too. If you want to get fancy, you can buy tickets for one of the lake cruise boats and ride in style (with a covering over your head) to take in the bats via the water. Others use their own kayaks or rent another personal watercraft for the event. See also: http://www.batsinaustin.com/ http://www.roadwayevents.com/event/bat-fest/

Overall a great experience watching thousands of Bats swarming! It was about 8:35PM when the bats came out flying above the waters and the trees! They were really small as well! Parking is supposedly free under the bridge but to get out of it might take forever to get out since there were maybe 200-300 people watching the bats! So we parked at another parking lot and walked over! Also FYI, beware of "Bat Hat Man" who yells at you and he is either acting he is deaf or he might be deaf. He yells at you in deaf with hand motions and he makes you go to a certain area on the bridge where he was wrong. I kept insisting we should stay in a certain stop semi middle bridge area and it was perfect! We were right underneath it, good thing we did not listen to the crazy bat hat man. Also he tried to give me a dirty button indicting he wanted like $5-10 bucks per button. To be honest, he was already very rude in the beginning so I didn't touch it. He immediately glared at me and "cussed me out saying the f word" literally I can see his mouth cussing me out. I just stared at him since this is by far the worst experience I had. I wish the police officers can take him away and send him to a mental health institution because I do not think he is safe.