Austin, TX - congress st. bridge bats
 

If you are not staying neat the bridge, does anyone know where you can park close by to where the bats come out? this would be in april.

thanks

Yes - the best place is the Austin - American statesman newspaper parking lot. It's on the south side of the bridge, across from the Hyatt. The lot does fill up, but not if you are there an hour before sunset.

Bring a blanket or towel to sit on the sloped lawn and people watch as you wait for sunset.

There is also some limited street parking in the area and a garage next to the Embassy Suites.

which side of the bridge do you need to be on to see the bats? the south or the north. ( or do they fly out east or west)? or on the bridge itself

You can see the bats from either the south or north side of the river or on the bridge itself. They are impossible to miss. I like the south side myself - primarily because you can hang out on the lawn as you wait. The available public space on the north bank is quite limited. They fly east.

You can also take a boat ride - there is a boat that launches from right next to the Hyatt.

In addition to J62's good idea you could park in the parking garage at the Four Season's Hotel. It's not very expensive, but if you have dinner or drinks at the TGI Fridays in the hotel they will validate your ticket. Friday's has outdoor seating facing the river which should be nice in April.

I prefer to stand on the bridge for the best bat viewing.

We took a boat ride and it was absolutely awesome to cruise under the bridge as the bats were preparing to come out! It was very informative as well, as the guide pointed out the few scouts sent out before the bats start leaving the bridge in waves. I think the boat left from the Hyatt. It was much better than the time I stayed on the shore.

Just an FYI. We were just there this past June and waited and waited and waited in the heat and humidity for the bats to come out and they never did! I spoke with a lady at our hotel and she said sometimes the bats just don't come out! Wish someone would have told me!

Reserve a table on TGIF's patio in the Radisson Hotel for a great view of the bats.

Not too many bats in April.
When and Where To See the Congress Avenue Bats:
Although the Congress Avenue bats are in residence as early as March, the best bat views are in August when the young pups join their mothers in the nightly flights. It can take as long as 45 minutes for all the bats to exit the bridge. There are plenty of locations along Lady Bird Lake in the vicinity of Congress Avenue where you can watch the bats. Flights normally occur around 8 to 8:30 pm but could be earlier or later. Best bet, call the Bat Hotline at 416-5700 ext. 3636 for times.
In addition to lining up on the sidewalks along the Congress Avenue bridge there are other safer and popular spots for bat-watching:
Austin American-Statesman public viewing area on the Southeast end of Congress Avenue.

Cruises on Lady Bird Lake are another way to see the bats. Lone Star Riverboat and Capital Cruises offer bat-watching cruises.

Watch the bats from the Shoreline Bar & Grill patio, T.G.I. Fridays (in the Radisson Hotel), or the Four Seasons Hotel