The start of classes is here at SU, and, as expected, new and exciting adventures arise with the start of the fall semester! On August 30, 2025, the Outdoor Adventures team welcomed us with a first trip to Lady Bird Lake in Austin to watch ~1-1.5 million bats emerge from under the Ann W. Richards Congress Bat Avenue Bridge on their nightly hunt.

Bringing together multiple communities and tourists who are fans of this urban wildlife spectacle, the main attraction of the bats is accompanied by the classic tour of Lady Bird Lake, either by kayak, paddleboarding, or boat, to wait for the nightly departure of the free-tailed Mexican bat. To maximize enjoyment of the different attractions this place has to offer, SU students boarded the school bus at around 4:00 p.m. to arrive at the designated location on time. The arrival at Lady Bird Lake began around two miles from Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue and the rest of the tour was finished on paddleboards to watch the first bats take flight.

Near the designated observation spot, SU students encountered a group of bat-loving tourists celebrating with live music– surprisingly, in the middle of the lake! The group’s DJ had his equipment floating among several rafts tosecure his electronic instruments. The Austin community definitely enjoys this daily event.

At 8:00 p.m., the first wave left its shelter between the arches of the bridge as the sun began to set. This process lasted at least thirty minutes before the bats began to form into channels heading north for their hunt. By 9:00 p.m., the bats had finished leaving, and our Pirate Adventure  came to an end. Between falls and dips in the lake, the students returned to campus quite wet and assured that they would not forget this day of bats and Lady Bird Lake.