Come during the summer months. Not just when it starts to get hot. Came here March 16 and it was about 95 degrees today. Didn't get the swarm of bats or maybe none of us stayed long enough. Getting there was easy from the tips here. I parked at 5080 N 40th St and walked down to the river area. Walk right and the first chance to veer right, do it and you'll see this fence. There's a wide trail along the river. Bring a flashlight to use when walking back after bat viewing. Bring bug spray! Plenty of space to even bring a food out chair or something to sit on while you wait. read more

Bat Cave - Facts - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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So, five stars because it's so cool this exists in Phoenix, but I only saw some small groups of bats when I visited May 1 - I think it's too early in the season? I was there about 15 minutes before sunset and half an hour after...no big bat dinner party. Next time! read more

Bat Cave - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Saw some cute friends while here! I've never seen bats in person but this was a fun little drive to do something this evening. I recommended going once! Seems like all the kids enjoyed it that were there. read more

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Really fun and interesting. Stay until the sun is fully set, they came out in waves when we went. Kid friendly.

This was a cool experience. We saw thousands of bats emerge from the "cave" right after sunset. A couple tips: 1)Most start coming out about 5 mins after sunset 2) The South-Side has the best view - you can see good from all locations but the bats fly out an immediately go south - Some fly pretty close on this side 3) The bride has a cool view -after we left we stopped at the bridge and you can see hundred maybe thousands of bars flying right above the water looking for insects. 4) Parking. - we parked in the business complex's right above Chelsea's kitchen. You can park pretty close to the "cave" maybe a hundred yards away read more

You really need to plan your trip when you visit here. My GPS brought me through a neighborhood to get here, where I parked at the end of a cul d sac and walked to the tunnel. Most other reviewers arrived from the other side by way of a shopping plaza. I recommend getting there about 20 to 30 minutes before sunset, to get a good spot and get comfortable. I do not recommend bringing a chair, unless you need it. It makes looking through the fence easier without one. That is what I did and it worked perfect. The bats actually started flying out a few minutes before sunset and it lasted well over 30 minutes (that is when I left). I came here at the tail end of the season, so all the babies had grown up and it was a packed house. There were thousands of those critters coming out of teh cave. It was like a clown car, they just kept coming and coming. I could only think what if someone stumbled in that tunnel, without knowing what was in there. You can see and smell, the bats coming. Yes, smell. It is an indescribable smell, but you will know it when you experience it. It must be all that bat excrement. The tunnel has a fence that runs out from it on both sides. It somewhat obstructs your view, but most of the bats stay between the fences until they are up, up and away. You will get a few strays though. I was buzzed by a couple, but nothing too scary. I was not fearful at any time. I left before I got too dark though. It was amazing seeing the amount of bats flying out of the tunnel. It was mesmerizing. They are not big bats, but there was a bunch, I mean a bunch, a bunch of them. This is a unique experience and a chance to see an unexplained phenomenon. I am glad that I was able to make it here and recommend this experience if you are in the Phoenix area. read more

What a great spot to relax and enjoy the sunset. The bats were spectacular to view as they were heading out for the night

Went at the end of October knowing the chance of seeing bats was very low. The cave is actually an overflow control area next to the canal pictured. Scenery is pretty around sunset but only saw one or two bats despite the guano smell. read more

Bat Cave - Canal at sunset - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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One of those marvels of nature that you don't get to see very often. It was so exciting to see hundreds of bats fly out into the night. Our 8 and 10 year old were not scared at all. read more

"I'm Batman."⁠--Unknown Meh... I hate to be the one outlier on this page but this was pretty unimpressive overall. Maybe my expectations/imagination were too high, but I was anticipating a giant swarm of bats flying out of the cave. But, in reality, what you get is small batches of bats flying out at in multiple squadrons and a bunch of f***ing mosquito bites... Kinda, sorta interesting if you're in the area but not worth going out of your way for. read more

Bat Cave - 🦇Bat Cave🦇 - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This is a magical experience. Starting almost exactly at sunset, lasting for about thirty minutes after, we saw thousands of bats fly out of the sloped cave tunnel at the end of summer (mid September). The Mexican free-tailed bats have their babies here in the summer and fly to Mexico for the winter, so come between June and early October. If you come later in the season, there are more bats as the babies take wing out of the cave. The bats eat insects so it's not too buggy out there, but I enjoyed visiting later in the summer for temperature reasons as well. I recommend it highly as a perfect way to spend some time outside, doing something interesting, for free! There's no bad place to observe - I recommend walking around to get different angles. Spend time here with the people you care about, just taking in the sunset quietly (so you don't disturb the bats). Whispering and taking pictures (without flash) are fine. I appreciate the signage from Arizona Game and Fish, telling fun facts and safety tips. It's really a hidden gem with few people around, so please keep it special by respecting their rules. The only thing that's a little difficult here is finding the place. There is no real address or cross streets - use a GPS to find where the pin is placed on Yelp and you'll find it easily. Park on the side of the road and take a little trail to where the barred concrete area is. You'll park for free and only walk the last little way, which is doable even for those who aren't typical hikers. The place is very close to the Phoenix Country Day School. It also doesn't look like a traditional cave. Check out the pictures posted on this page before you go so you know when you get there. read more

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We had a great time here! It wasn't an in-the-mountain cave like I expected, but super cool nevertheless. Hiking is a major understatement - more of a 5 min walk. Search for T. T.'s review (contains the address 5080 N. 40th St) for detailed instructions of where to park and how to navigate from there. Sunset was at 7:41 so we arrived just 10 min prior. A few bats start boomeranging out the cave right at sunset, and they really started coming out at 7:50. From there, it was a constant surge of bats for another ~25 minutes. We stood from all three sides, but the best was definitely right above where the bats come out. The fenced side near the canal was also good because the bats would veer towards the canal, so you were very close and could hear their high pitched chittering. Noise like talking softly won't prevent the bats from coming out but this one little girl was so excited she squealed and there was a short pause in the flow of bats. Also, we got a couple big bites probably because of how close the canal was but no biggie! Cool place for people of all ages. read more

It was really neat, definitely worth going at least once. Wait until after sunset before it begins - get there a little early, but they didn't start flying out much until after sunset. read more

It was an amazing experience. If you live in Phoenix you should definitely go watch the bats because it's a great sight. There are so many bats and it was easy to find. read more

If you are in the area and a fan of nature or wildlife, I definitely recommend taking some time one evening to check out the bat cave. The crazy thing to me is how many locals do not seem to be aware of this interesting phenomenon. For detailed information to the location, I would recommend checking out Gina L. or T.T.s review. I used the address they provided of 5080 N. 40th St to find the location which is a business parking lot. If you google it before you go, apparently there is a neighborhood also near it that you can park in and walk to as well. We went on 7/3/19 and sunset was at 7:42PM. Some bats popped in and out a bit, but I would have to say we really didn't start to see any until after 8PM. Gina's review of just a couple of days prior to when we went (which I used for assistance, thank you!) said they seemed to come out closer to sunset for her. I think they came out later because there was a very loud family running up and down, yelling, and shouting very loud leading up to sunset. They were so loud that many of us were getting upset and asked them to be quieter. The response we got was "We have been here plenty of times, don't worry, the bats will still come out". Lucky for you to get the experience, but for some of us, this is our only chance. I truly believe the bats would have come out sooner had they been quieter. It was still really neat to see the bats when we did, but since they came out later, it was darker, and harder to see them, and almost impossible to capture them on film (when days before, videos uploaded were might lighter out). If you can, walk to different parts of the 'cave' for other views as some angles offered better lighting and views than others. At one point, it was so dark, we couldn't see much so we decided to walk along the canal back to our car. From that angle, we were afforded an incredible view of the bats; much better than we had been seeing. So if you can, try walking around the area for multiple viewing angles. I know the three of us were a little disappointed at first since it was hard to see the bats since it was so dark, but on the walk back, we really could see the swarms of bats and it was incredible. read more

Bat Cave - The address in TTs review leads you to this building. Park by the structure - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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The bats were fast and furious. The ribs were delicious. Great service as well. I will be back for the brisket.

It's so cute! You need to park at the office and it's like a 5 min walk! You can hear the little noises they make! And it takes a while so be patient! We stayed for like almost 2 hours and once the sun set they flew out in larger groups read more

This may be sensitive to the time of the year. We checked out the site two days in a row during February and saw only two bats. The area is nice with a great view of Camelback Mountain being illuminated beautifully at sunset. So not a complete loss. Parking was mostly reserved spaces in a nearby office park parking lot. read more

Bat Cave - Camelback Mountain from the Bat Cave entrance. - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Very interesting and should check it out if you haven't lots of bats.... fun to hang hot and see thousands of bats come out for evening snacks! Pretty easy to find. Parked in the neighborhood right next to the cave and had a 30 second walk. read more

Must be patient and quiet (there was a group with kids there that did not know how to whisper or be quiet) but so cool to see the bats going in and out of the tunnel. We went during off season so there weren't very many but still got to see a few. If in the area and looking for something easy to do this is entertaining. read more

Wow if you want to take your family out and see Mother Nature at her best then this bat cave is just the place to go. It's outside so you don't need a mask. You will want to get there about 20 min be for sunset so you don't miss them. Once the sun set hits and your really quiet over 5,000 bats come out of this cave!! September of 2020 read more

Bat Cave - Bats coming out of the "cave" - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

It's dope. Just please be careful and try not to harm the cave. They will give you all the rules so please follow it. read more

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We came right at sunset and soon after swarms of bats came out. It was magnificent. Even at the end of the sunset they were still rolling out. One even swooped down over the gate and hit the person next to me. I would suggest coming in July. Also, I parked at the end of N 37th Pl and it took me to a short dirt pathway straight to the canal. You can see the Bat Cave from there and it's only a minute walk to it. I'd suggest bringing lawn chairs and Gatorade so you don't have to stand the whole hour and you stay hydrated. What a lovely gem of Phoenix! read more

So the bats weren't home because this is their Summer home and it's to early in the season, lol. We were still totally stoked to find the spot though. You can park off of 40th street in the business park that's right over in the area. We parked off the side of the road in one of the neighborhoods, and then walked over but next time I'll park over in that other area. I originally put bat cave into google maps and it took me to the neighborhood that's off Camelback Road and the cave is on the North side of canal. I can't wait to check it out this Summer. read more

Bat Cave - What a view! - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Go around sunset but no later. Mid-June through end of July are best, maybe only time of year. Take a short walk through residential neighborhood, be prepared to wait for 15 minutes, and wait quietly so as not to disturb the bats. There are boulders and ledges where you can sit and wait until they emerge. When the time comes, don't expect a torrential outpouring of vampire bats. But don't be uneasy either, although I was, on my first visit. A large number of smallish bats (and a few biggies!) emerge, squeaking, along with a strong guano smell. I was bored initially, while waiting for the bats to make their appearance, but now consider it a worthwhile and rather amazing opportunity to observe urban wildlife. Location is north side of Camelback, past Chelsea Kitchen, about 0.25 miles northwest of 40th street. Here's a more complete description, including a detailed map, from a reasonably authoritative source. http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/urbanhabitat/ read more

Bat Cave - Bat cave map - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I discovered this spot on Yelp when I typed "hiking" into the search bar. We ended up going Friday evening and parking in a neighborhood right by a green belt by the bat area. We walked out onto the canal and initially started walking the wrong way until we asked a group of people if they knew where the bat cave was. They were very kind and pointed to the area that we were actually quite close to. They also recommended where to stand so the bats would fly over our heads. As the sun was setting a few came out at a time. I tried to get a picture but these little guys fly fast so it was nearly impossible. I did get some video of them though as they began to trickle out slowly to hunt for bugs over the canal. I have always had a fondness for bats so I found it extremely exciting. My boyfriend said it was extremely boring and hot out and he was hoping that they would all leave the cave at once. Overall the bat cave was exactly what I expected it to be like. I did read that it is best to visit in June and July which can be hot so just make sure to bring plenty of water. I love this spot and I do plan on visiting it again in the near future. read more

Bat Cave - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This is a sweet little hidden gem in central phoenix where you can see thousands of bats exist their den to go eat all the bugs in the city! Parking is easy and spacious and it's a short walk to the tunnel. Arrive about 15 minutes before sunset during bat season and enjoy! read more

This was so much fun and not what I expected. It was almost mystical. We got there about dusk an waited at the fence beyond the tunnel opening rather than above the tunnel. The bats stated flying out a few at a time then increased. We didn't stay really late so I don't know how many more were exiting later on. We followed the directions provided by another contributor and the only thin I can add is that you so walk down a slight decline toward the canal and then walk to the right. Great experience read more

What a waste of time. Hot, uncomfortable, long walk and hard to find a parking spot. Only saw a couple of bats leave before it got to dark to see at all. Maybe we'll try once more in the cooler weather, but a summer viewing was a complete waste. read more

LOCATION - enter 5080 N. 40th St Phoenix AZ 85018 into your navi. Park in the back close to the parking structure. Walk down the canal and turn to the right at the first opportunity. You will see a fence (see pics). You can stay there or walk a little further up to get closer to the tunnel. My photos were taken from the gates. Even though I read all of the reviews, as a visitor to Phoenix who was unfamiliar with the area, I had a hard time finding this place. It was not at all obvious. Since I'm better with an exact address, the closest address is 5080 N. 40th St Phoenix 85018. I was expecting to see a few bats here and there, but there were thousands of bats flying out of the tunnel and into the night sky. If you stand directly in front of the gate, the bats will fly within inches of you. It was an awesome experience! read more

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So one day I was out and about in this area and it suddenly dawned on me that I've been meaning to check out the bats that supposedly live in this part of town. So I drove north through the Camelback and 40th Street intersection and turned left into a road leading into a business park with various buildings that had huge parking lots. I went as far west as I could and turned into a parking lot for a building that I remember used to house a clinic where there were a bunch of shrinks. I only know this because some time ago I used to believe that the government was monitoring my email and phone conversations among other things. Luckily, with the help of those shrinks, I realized these were just paranoid delusions and I'm cured now. But back to the parking lot - if you come late enough to watch the bats fly out of their home, most of the businesses in this area should be closed by then so there should be no problem parking here. If any security or parking lot nazi confronts you just tell them you're bat shit insane and came to the clinic to refill your meds. Also tilt your head sideways, drop your voice an octave and spew out whatever Latin phrases you know. Pig Latin works too - those folks ain't NASA brain surgeon linguists. So anyway I parked and walked northwest alongside the canal until I came to a bridge. It was still a little early so I just chillaxed until the sun went down. Over time, a number of bat enthusiasts showed up including some dude somehow connected with the Arizona Republic. A bunch of people showed up with their kids. Once it got dark, I was able to see bats leave the tunnel under the bridge in small numbers - several at a time. Through the fence I could see them flying so fast eastward from the tunnel along the concrete walls that they looked like tiny tie fighters speeding along the trenches of the Death Star. Unfortunately, it wasn't a big spectacular wave of bats like you'd see in horror movies or Scooby Doo cartoons so set your expectations accordingly. Your mileage may vary, of course. I've watched the bat exodus from the Congress Street Bridge in Austin as well as at the Carlsbad Caverns and those were much more specatacular events to behold. In this case, you could see small numbers of bats flying around - either coming out of the tunnel or flying over the canal looking for snacks. Didn't stay all that long as the old attention deficit thing started kicking in. I was entertained, though, by one of the moms who brought their children to see the bats telling Mr. AZ Republic to STFU because he was talking too much and possibly scaring the bats from coming out of the tunnel. This bat viewing area is the East side tunnel entrance. There is also one near 24th Street as well which I haven't been to which is the West side tunnel entrance. Not sure when all the bats go on vacation to the annual Guano Producers Convention in the tropical paradise of Nauru but there's a chance you might still be able to view them for a few more weeks. read more

Bat Cave - map of west side bat tunnel - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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We went on the 4th of July, before dinner at Chelsea's Kitchen. From the Chelsea's parking lot you can cut through the landscaping to the canal path; head west for about a quarter of a mile. There will be a paved section that breaks off the the right near some sort of sports field. Walk along the paved road which takes you right toward the tunnel that is the bats' abode and which is completely fenced off with black rod-iron fence. There is no place convenient to sit while you wait patiently. As the sun begins to set, if you listen REALLY carefully, you can begin to hear the bats and, in our experience anyway, one or two will venture out at a time. It seems like they boomerang out and return to signal "go time." I had expected a mass exodus of bats (even though Lisa O. specifically says "don't expect a torrential outpouring") after watching the famous bats of San Antonio and Carlsbad Caverns, so I was a little disappointed. Lisa O. is right: "don't expect a torrential outpouring." But, as we began to walk back to the restaurant, we could see so many bats dive-bombing the canal. Obviously, their dispersed exodus distracted me from how many I had actually seen leave the cave! I'd go again. Here are my tips: I suggest bringing lightweight folding chairs to get comfortable. Plan on getting there before sunset begins and staying until it's nearly dark. Maybe even bring a flashlight so you can light your return path. You can easily park your chairs on the paved section over the underpass (bat cave) while you wait for them to start doing their thing. If you hang out in the dirt area on the south side of the fencing the bats will rush past your head! It's hard to be quiet but I'd imagine it helps! We were clowning around giggling, shooting mock animal planet video commentary on our cell phone. read more

It's a hidden treat for Phoenicians bat lovers. Located in the Biltmore/Camelback area, people can take a short walk to the cave..really it's a tunnel. There are signs with details about the bats. We went the night of the super moon and it's pretty cool to see the bats fly out of the tunnel and start flying over the canal to feed. There were hundreds of bats coming out of the tunnel the night we went. It was hard to capture a photo since they fly so fast! Just a few families and couples were there that evening. It's nice it's not too well known but worth an evening walk. read more

Bat Cave - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Really cool spot we found. Our 5 year old had a blast! Must stop! They are tiny little bats!

We showed up Tuesday 7:50pm to 8:30pm The parking lot is a business district however at night no one seems to care. Its a nice little walk I'd say 2-3 football fields in distance from parking lot to the cave. I enjoyed the walk more than sitting and waiting. The walk consist of trees hanging over head while bats constantly fly over you. A family of 4 and a family of 3 sat near the bat gates all the meanwhile you hear runners and cyclist run though river bed. While we sat in silence I was hoping to see a mob of bats flying out of hell but it was more like a constant flow of about 1 or 2 per minute. read more

Amazing. Our kids loved it. It's a great place for families and ours thoroughly enjoyed it. The bats were coming out for probably 5 minutes or more so there is no way to miss them! The walk from the parking lot was short enough for little ones. Directions for the suggested parking area was confusing but we found our way in plenty of time. read more

Great place to take the kids before sunset. Watch the bats. Drive the long way home and hopefully they are asleep by the time you get home.

Great spot to watch bats in Phoenix

I lingered by the 24th street aperture around sunset, with a couple strangers, and wasnt too impressed at first. I heard a little squeaking from inside the tunnel, it smells pretty bad, and the bats are quite small. One or two fly out of the tunnel, then scoot right back in. Their flight is unusually jerky, not like a bird, and individual bats are difficult to follow. Think fast, drunken hummingbirds on steroids, that never completely suspend. Anyway, a few more people showed up, and about fifteen minutes after offical sunset, more and more bats poured out. It was getting darker and I still couldnt tell if they were coming out and retreating back in - that's how fast and small they are. But I could tell there were alot of them. Alot of specks racing down through the 30 ft deep Army Corps of Engineers' diversion channel. That's when I saw it. The money shot that makes this a five star event. I turned my head up, away from the dark channel, toward the recently set sun in the west. And there, silhouetted against the lighter clouds, were hundreds of bats, arcing south and west together into the Phoenix night. They came in waves. A group of fifty or so, then a lull, then another fifty. This went on for fifteen minutes and I probably saw more than a thousand bats by the time I left. Walking back home, a swarm came near enough to make me flinch, but my breath or movement - or maybe just my mass -activated their sonar and scattered them instantly in a different direction. To think this unusual nature show transpires every night, less than a mile from the hustle and bustle of 24th and Camelback is pretty neat, I think, and I'm really glad I saw it. It may not be the Grand Canyon, but it might make you think about nature in a similar way, about it's mystery and splendor. It's free, a tiny bit scary but safe, and should capture most people's imaginations. Highly recommended. read more

Bat season is April through October. If you come any other time, you won't see anything. Bats in Arizona. This is an awesome little hidden treasure here in the Valley of the sun. read more