Reviews: The Alton Marina

Reviewed by: G. Jay Nelson , Pegasus, on Nov 1, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 44'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

This is a great marina that we stayed at for six days. The docks and covered slips are well-maintained and very stable. The marina is very clean, and has great facilities. They offer private restrooms/ showers, laundry room (two each washer/dryer), and a small ships store (more of a gift shop). The marina has very good lighting and security. The grounds are very pet-friendly. There is also a wonderful little breakfast grill in the ships store that serves great breakfast and lunch options at a remarkably reasonable price. It is a bit of a walk to the town's restaurants and bars or casino. Uber and car rental options are good in the area, and access to downtown St. Louis or the airport is about $40. This marina is a great place to leave your boat if you need to travel, or just stop for a few days before you head down the river. We would definitely stay here again.

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Reviewed by: Lance Williamson on Sep 30, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.8'

Rating: 5

Great marina! We were there to wait out two hurricanes, and we left the boat there as we traveled to Washington State
for a wedding. Great staff. Covered slips. Great individual bathrooms/showers. Enterprise will pick you up at the marina to get your car rental. Walmart delivery is available for those with Walmart +. A small grocery store will pick you up and bring you back to the marina for your shopping.

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Reviewed by: Kevin Williams , m/v Blue Tortuga, on Sep 30, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

All comments valid- however we saw no depth issues whatsoever. Staff super helpful. Nice cafe onsite with awesome breakfast sandwiches. Good but small laundry facilities. Bath and restroom facilities top notch and clean. A first rate marina by any measure.

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Reviewed by: MARK GLOVER , Cool Change, on Sep 29, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 45'
Draft: 3.0'

Rating: 5

Great staff at this marina! We weren't in the covered area ( partly due to our power needs ) but the docks are wide and in good condition! Voltage hovers around 210 .
Great amenities, private bathrooms/ showers, small ship store with a great little grill….and the woman that cooks does a great job !!! Fuel and pump out available.Laundry facilities….2/2 at $1 each. Town has many places to go for food/ drink and a couple of grocery stores. Nice place to stop for a couple of days before the long run to Paducah. Definitely would stay again !!!!!

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Reviewed by: Paul Steindorf , Ohana, on Sep 20, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 45'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Great place to leave to boat for a while and fly or drive home for a while. Enterprise car rental will pick you up here. Lots of covered slips with high air clearance. Pool, laundry, private baths/showers,pump out, snack bar. Courteous staff. Several decent restaurants in town. Make sure to visit the museum at the Mel Price Lock (by car or bicycle)

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Reviewed by: Scott Gregory , My Happiness, on Sep 12, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

The marina staff were great to work with and the marina was good to stay in on Oct. 11, 23. We did like city of Graton better than the city of Alton though. But, the grocery store in Alton was very cruiser friendly and we found some great places in Alton.

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Reviewed by: Douglas Morrow , Ripple, on Aug 19, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Very friendly Marina personnel. We had a covered dock in the large Marina. We had lunch at their deli. They even have a frozen drink machine! There is a nice pool and private, clean bathrooms. It's a bit of a walk to town since you have to go over a bridge and a main road. Buff City Grill had good food and great dinner specials.

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Reviewed by: Captain Wes , Toscana, on May 30, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 44'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 4

A great stop as always. Great location and plenty in walking distance. For deeper drafts, what Mel Price dam is doing directly effects water levels. If the dam is open, the fast current actually lowers the marina level as it sucks past the entrance. When the dam holds back, water tends to be higher because of the slowed flow. The city has contracted the marina out to a private company. Fuel prices are higher than they used to be, but service levels seem just as good as always.

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Reviewed by: Jodi Cavanaugh , Dos Gatos Locos, on Oct 28, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 46'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

After 3 days of anchoring and tying up, Alton Marina was a welcome stop. Took advantage of their AGLCA special and booked 10 days. Fueled up, topped off water, and pumped out . Wi-Fi was good. Bathrooms/showers were clean and appointed. Deli was great. Robert the Marina Manager was wonderful during are stay and when I was trying to make arrangements for our stay. Can not say enough about this marina. Mac's Downtown was our favorite restaurant. We would stay here again.

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Reviewed by: Capt Sam , WhatYachtToDo, on Oct 22, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

12 Oct 23 Sam at GreatLoopAcademy.com here on a training trip with a 430 Mainship with a 3' 8" draft. Stopped here for a rest, pump out, fuel, and water. Stayed two days due to weather and visited Fast Eddie's of course. Nice marina, well run by Rob. Snack bar is great but limited hours this time of year. No courtesy car, limited rental choices and hit/miss Uber, but town is well within walking distance. Home of Miles Davis. Statue in the town square area. Good T-Mobile and Verizon service. Sam from WhatYachtToDo ?

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Reviewed by: Kevin King , High Tide, on Oct 20, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.0'

Rating: 5

Great stop for anything you could need ,we had generator parts delivered and walmart even delivers groceries,, friendly people everything clean and neat !! Nice walk to resturants and town

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Reviewed by: Tony Green on Sep 30, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 26'
Draft: 3.0'

Rating: 5

Wonderful marina. Easy to book by phone. Deep water (10 feet) and covered slips on transient dock, which is close to clean, private bathrooms. Electric, water, fuel, small deli and convenience store on site. They were short-staffed and doing water system maintenance during our stay, but were very helpful and customer-focused. Close to town and the Mel Price Lock. Call the lock before you leave, if southbound. We had a 4-hour wait and it was nice to do most of that at the marina.

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Reviewed by: Anthony Hall , Event Horizon, on Jun 6, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 63'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 4

Stayed one night on a T head. just a little under staffed but courteous and dock hands try very hard. Still learning but great attitudes. We stayed on the "T" at J dock power was mediocre at best (98 Volts)
So be aware of that. Jill the Harbour Master is awesome. Only thing I would say is be prepared for a 3% add to credit card for fuel etc. Not unexpected. overall great place. Handled our 5 foot draft ok mostly saw 6-10 ft.

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Reviewed by: Robert , Slow Dancing, on Mar 1, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

Spent one night there at the very end of Feb. they put my power cat at the end of the dock on a T-head, which was perfect. One of the staff came out to catch lines, which was helpful.

The bathrooms and showers had not be re-opened for the season, but power was on at the slip. Friendly folks, and reasonable slip rate.

Pool not open yet, but looked like it would be fun in warm weather.

The Mel Price lock is just down river - at the office they said it was a mile or mile and a half walk. More like 2.7 miles. Walked down there to eyeball the lock I'd be going through the next day. There is a museum there, and a short tour that will take you out to the edge of the lock and then up to the upper part of the structure.

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Reviewed by: Capt Maria Langer , Do It Now, on Dec 23, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 32'
Draft: 2.5'

Rating: 4

I chose Alton Marina as a place to park my boat for the month of November 2022 while I went home to take care of some business. I got a covered slip in the long term tenant area. I stayed on the boat 3 days before I went home and 3 days after returning, before continuing my trip south on the Loop.

Unfortunately, the water and pumpout had been shut off prior to our arrival for the winter. This meant that the bathrooms with showers were not available and there was no water at the boat. The only restrooms were at the marina office, which was quite a walk from where the boat was parked. The laundry room (in the same building) was open and available. The deli/shop was closed for the season.

The place is very dog friendly, especially that time of year with hardly anyone around.

The marina is walking distance to town, but it isn't a short walk. Not many shops or restaurants were open during our stays. We did walk to a small local market in town -- it was at least a mile away. There was no courtesy car. I wound up renting a car before my departure and then again on my return so I had more flexibility for provisioning and making airport runs. There's a Walmart outside of town that sells just about anything you might need.

The main benefit of this stop -- at least to me -- was its proximity to St. Louis and its airport.

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Reviewed by: Graeme Walker , Confirmed Aquaholic, on Oct 23, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 54'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Good place, friendly staff. We were end T so didn't get covered but we tend not to like it because it interferes with our StarLink. Only spent one night but walked into town for some shopping, very limited but it was a Sunday afternoon. Only grocery store is nine blocks uptown, although there is a big box store area out of town. Managed to get the only Uber in town back from shopping. Shout out to the mississippimudpottery.com, lots of good stuff and we told them we needed eggs/milk/cream and they gave us a dozen eggs laid that day. The summer transit bus doesn't run this late in the season.

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Reviewed by: Brian Wicks on Sep 24, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 27'
Draft: 2.0'

Rating: 5

Covered slips!!! What a great treat on a few HOT September days. The Dock Master and staff were delightful. The pool water was refreshing. The Deli makes terrific food. Overall, great facilities.

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Reviewed by: Patricia And Steven Stanley , Calypso, on Sep 20, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Alton Marina is really nice with fuel, pumpout, covered floating wooden docks, a pool, very clean bathrooms, showers, 2 washer/driers, internet and a deli. A short walk into town brings you to many restaurants and stores.

Miles Davis (trumpet player extraordinaire) and Robert Pershing Wadlow (the tallest man in the world at 8' 11") were born in Alton. Alton is also the location if the last State Senator debate between Abe Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. We walked into town and viewed the tributes to these famous individuals.

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Reviewed by: David Rowe on Sep 7, 2022
LOA: 38'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Spent a couple of weeks for repairs, and what a great place to do that. Rented a car and explored St. Louis while we were here. Received some very large packages (we needed to replace our refrigerator, and had three damaged units out of four that were delivered) with a very accommodating staff helping us get them down the docks to the boat (and back again for the returns). Greg Brown, the dockmaster, is a very nice and very helpful guy. The marina has no courtesy car, but Greg even loaned us his personal car for a necessary errand after we returned our rental car. They even loaned us freezer space so we didn't lose our frozen stuff while we waiting for the new refrigerator to arrive. I cannot say enough nice things about this facility (it has a hot tub!) and the most helpful staff we have ever encountered at a marina.

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Reviewed by: Linda McCormick on Aug 19, 2022
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

All in all a preferred stop. Nicely maintained facilities, fuel, pool, deli and ship store on site. Very helpful staff and we are loving the covered slips that are almost bug free. Short walk to the Hansen Meat Co. They will prepared custom freezer or orders or fresh meat if you order a day or so in advance.

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Reviewed by: Jeffrey Skoda on Oct 14, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 65'
Draft: 6.0'

Rating: 5

Great marina and staff. Tom was excellent to work with. Quality operation.

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Reviewed by: Rob Dare , Liberty Call , on Oct 8, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 46'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Great Marina. Very welcoming staff that really work hard to make this a great stop. Fuel was 3.16. The grill has great breakfast and lunch. Great Looper specials. Lots of great places to take a dog on a long walk. Several restaurants a short walk away and a grocery store that will pick you up and return you.

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Reviewed by: Bill Mcmahon on Sep 30, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 40'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 5

Solid floating dock with finger piers on both sides of the boat. Most are covered, except for a few slips at the end and the tee-heads, for taller boats. Excellent, new and clean restroom and shower facilities. There are 2 buildings, located so that no one has to walk too far. Public WiFi is slow.

They were very helpful in accommodating us (and at least 4 other boats) when we had to return for an extra night due to the long delay at Chain of Rocks Lock 27.

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Reviewed by: Robert Hansen , Soulmate , on Sep 21, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 60'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

The Alton Marina is a very well run facility. The marina staff were very friendly and accommodating.

The grounds, docks, pool, pavilion and facilities are clean and in very good condition!

WiFi was adequate.

There are several decent dining establishments are within 3 to 7 blocks of the marina.

Dock and fuel prices are very competitive.

I'll be back!

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Reviewed by: Capt. Mac Rubel on Sep 16, 2021
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Located at mile marker 202.9 LDB in Alton IL, the Alton Marina is a complete package. Approach along the outer wall in 20' depths. As you reach the bridge you will make a 180 degree turn to port to enter the marina. It sounds worse than it actually is. The gas dock is an immediate turn to starboard and down the firs fairway. Once inside the current, wind, and wave issues disappear. Docks are all floating, mostly covered, with bumpers on the posts to make it easy to get into your slip. Docks are all well maintained, with water and appropriate power available and working properly. The entire marina, pool, showers and baths, office, store and deli are all floating at the middle of the docks. The staff is more than willing to help. Security is excellent. Cellular reception and marina Wi Fi are very good.

The marina is all on 24 foot pylons to accommodate river fluctuations. On shore there are restaurants, bars, parks, and entertainment venues within a mile of the marina entrance. A major grocery store will send a courtesy car to pick you up and bring you back from the local grocery store. All of this with the Mel Price Lock just a mile below the marina. Call in the morning and leave ten minutes before you are expected at the lock. What is not to like? The AGLCA discount deal is "Buy three night and get three more free." Definitely a good stop

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Reviewed by: James Catlin on Jun 21, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 34'
Draft: 2.5'

Rating: 5

Very nice Marina! Great staff, the best shower suites we have ever experienced! Fuel was the best price around. If we hadn’t been in such a hurry, we would have stayed more longer and enjoyed the Looper special.

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Reviewed by: God’s Grace on Sep 16, 2019
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 44'
Draft: 3.5'

Rating: 4

They have a Loopers special! Stay 3 nights @ 1.30 per ft. get 3 nights free, or, $1 per ft. per night. Best diesel fuel prices $2.99 with 10 cents per gallon off for Loopers!

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Reviewed by: Kevin Okeefe on Jun 13, 2018
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 47'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Very nice marina convenient to downtown. Friendly staff. Enterprise picks up here. 45 minutes to St. Louis.

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Reviewed by: Fred Richardson on Dec 3, 2016
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 30'
Draft: 0.0'

Rating: 4

Beautiful and clean. Harbor Master is a super nice guy. Staff is very friendly. Great amenities

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