Waugh Bridge Bat Colony
Historic Bridge · Houston, Texas
Around a quarter of a million Mexican free-tailed bats live in the expansion joints of the Waugh Drive bridge over Buffalo Bayou, and every evening at dusk they pour out from underneath it in a column that lasts twenty minutes. It happens in the middle of Houston, it is free, and unlike the more famous Austin colony this one does not migrate — the bats are here all year.
Waugh Drive at Buffalo Bayou, Houston, Texas, 77019, United States
FREE, with no ticket and no booking — a public bridge over Buffalo Bayou between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive, with a purpose-built observation area on the bank. ⚠ ARRIVE 20 MINUTES BEFORE SUNSET; the emergence starts around dusk and runs about 20 minutes, and cool or wet evenings can suppress it entirely. ⚠ UNLIKE AUSTIN'S COLONY, THESE BATS DO NOT MIGRATE — they are resident year round. Stand downwind, on the bank rather than the bridge.
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