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Old No. 9 Highway, Hill Country, Texas
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0

Drives Texas Austin, San Antonio and the Hill Country

Old No. 9 Highway

Old Number 9 Highway, Old San Antonio Road · RM 473 near Comfort → Old San Antonio Road

Sweeping18.1 mi40 min1,100 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,900 ftOne way
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The drive

Old No. 9 Highway is the old road between Comfort and Fredericksburg, a narrow two-lane that winds north over the hills from RM 473 near Comfort toward Fredericksburg. It's a leftover stretch of the original State Highway 9, which followed the old San Antonio and Fredericksburg roads before the modern highway replaced it, and later took the name Old Number 9.

Halfway along sits Old Tunnel State Park, the smallest state park in Texas. Its tunnel was blasted through Alamo Ridge for the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway, the line that linked Fredericksburg to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass tracks near Comfort. The railroad closed in 1942, and bats moved in. From May through October, up to 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and a few thousand cave myotis fly out of the tunnel at dusk. Past the park, the drive carries on north to its end at Old San Antonio Road, a few miles southeast of Fredericksburg.

Along the way

  1. RM 473 near Comfort
  2. Old Tunnel State Park
  3. Old San Antonio Road
Elevation
1,100 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,900 ft
RM 473 near ComfortOld San Antonio Road
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
RM 473 near ComfortOld San Antonio Road
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The road is narrow and twisting, with no shoulders, so give oncoming traffic room on the curves.
  • Old Tunnel State Park is free by day, but from May 1 to Oct. 31 everyone in the park after 5 p.m. needs a bat-viewing ticket bought in advance; none are sold at the park.
  • Cell service at the park is limited, so save your ticket before you go.
  • There's no drinking water at the park.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Texas Parks and Wildlife: Old Tunnel State Park.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Old No. 9 Highway drive take?

Old No. 9 Highway from RM 473 near Comfort to Old San Antonio Road is 18.1 miles and takes about 40 minutes.

When can you see the bats at Old Tunnel State Park?

The bats at Old Tunnel State Park, on the Old No. 9 route, are in residence from May 1 to Oct. 31 and fly out around dusk; evening viewing needs a ticket bought in advance.

Is there a fee for Old Tunnel State Park?

There's no entrance fee for Old Tunnel State Park by day, but bat-viewing tickets are required after 5 p.m. during bat season.

Why is it called Old No. 9 Highway?

It's an unused section of the original State Highway 9, which ran along the old roads between San Antonio and Fredericksburg, renamed Old Number 9 to remember that route.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Old No. 9 Highway, from RM 473 near Comfort to Old San Antonio Road