Join Fresh Air Family at 
THE BAT CAVE

     We have a special guest -- the Bat Lady! Vicky Smith is the state's leading educator and gives a great bat program for young and old. She will bring her own personal bats for you to see up close. She will tell us about the lives of these tiny mammals as we watch 300,000 of them emerge from the cave at sunset. Please arrive around 6:30 in order to park and walk the short trail to the accessible observation deck. Bats will start emerging just before the sun goes down at 7:16pm. 
    This is the largest emergence of bats east of the Mississippi River, and Sauta contains the largest summer colony of the endangered grey bat species. The Sauta Cave NWR protects several endangered species of bat include the gray and Indiana bats. Other species that live in the cave include the Tennessee cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus), the Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii).
     A hint for visitors: A cap, hood, poncho, or umbrella could be used while viewing, as visitors may be “put upon” while enjoying the show! A little planning will prevent observers from carrying home an unwanted souvenir of the experience. One thing you will not need: mosquito spray! For more information, visit: http://www.fws.gov/sautacave/. Questions can be forwarded to Events@FreshAirFamily.org, or call 205-540-6642. Free for members. $10 donation per family appreciated. Register at events@FreshAirFamily.org.

    Directions:  From Huntsville, take AL 72 East, towards Scottsboro. Drive approximately 30 - 32 miles. You will pass the welcome sign for Scottsboro. The entrance to the preserve is located between mile markers 130 and 131. There is no sign along the road. You will see a small sign for the North Alabama Birding Trail on your right, and the entrance is exactly .8 miles further, on the right. There is limited parking in front of the gate. If the area is full, you will need to park along the road. Walk through the gate, and the cave is about a quarter mile up the road, on the right. You will know you're getting close when you feel a sharp drop in temperature.
   If coming from the Scottsboro side, take 72 just past the mile marker. You will make a left turn to enter the park. If you reach County Road 112, you have gone too far.