Old Tunnel State Park, State park in Kendall County, United States.
Old Tunnel State Park is Texas's smallest state park, featuring an abandoned railroad tunnel surrounded by oak and juniper woodlands. Two observation platforms provide viewing areas for exploring the tunnel and the surrounding forest setting.
The 920-foot tunnel of the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway was dug mostly by hand through solid limestone. The railway used it until 1941, when the line was dismantled and the steel rails were taken for the World War II effort. After the shutdown the tunnel became a bat cave.
The site takes its name from the abandoned railroad tunnel at its heart, drawing visitors interested in learning about the area's rail history. Guided programs help people understand how the railway and local wildlife are connected through the park's educational focus.
The bats emerge at sunset from May through October, and rangers give a program each night before the emergence. Both viewing areas, upper and lower, require tickets bought in advance. The park lies on Old San Antonio Road, halfway between Fredericksburg and Comfort.
The tunnel also shelters about 3,000 cave myotis bats alongside the Mexican free-tailed colony. Rangers give a talk each evening before the bats emerge, and both viewing areas are entered only with tickets bought in advance.
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