Entry No. 20 — the San Antonio file — filed under: bats

Bracken Cave Preserve

At dusk, up to 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats spiral out of the cave in a mile-long living column — the largest known concentration of mammals on Earth — on a preserve of roughly 1,500 acres in southern Comal County near Garden Ridge, managed by Bat Conservation International, a short drive northeast of downtown San Antonio.

The move: Book an advance-only ticket for a summer evening (season runs May–September; 2026 general registration opened April 15), arrive before sunset with a folding chair, and watch the sky go dark with bats while a Bat Conservation International naturalist narrates the emergence.

• 📍 unincorporated northern Bexar County, near Garden Ridge
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 7515 Bracken Cave Road, San Antonio, TX 78266

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: batcon.org · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-20