Actually the main business is off the river-just across the street. A liquor store; a place where…read moreyou can get chips, beer, soda and ice....all things needed while on the river. But, if you're like us, you not only need ice and soda, you need a place to dock the boat, to load and unload passengers, maybe take a quick swim or just get on land for a bit. We've been meeting friends on the Boon-Dox for years. Sometimes if Bob is in one of his fishing crazes, which is pretty much all the time, he hits New Hope at dawn and stays out on the Sacramento Delta til at least dusk. That is too long for me. I prefer a lazy morning of coffee and paper, some yelp, maybe even a little laundry. Then, I climb in my little red car and toodle up the road to Walnut Grove. I look for parking under the tall eucalyptus trees across the street from the Boon-Dox Liquor Store. Sometimes I spy a make-shift fruit stand off the tail gate of a seller's truck. Mmm Watermelons, perfect! Now, to drag the ice chest, pic-a-nic basket and bag o' essentials down to the dock. Once there, I begin the wait for Bob. Many times I run into a local and we strike up a conversation. People are friendly on the river. If you ever have mechanical problems you'll get help within minutes. It's not like being way laid on 680 as cars go whizzing past you at 80 miles an hour. Folks are out here to take it easy, meet some new friends, toss a line in the water or just enjoy nature. As soon as the next boat trolls by, you'll hear a call-out, "Hey dude (or dudette), you need some help"?

We live in Sac but the houseboat has lived at Walnut Grove Marina for many years now. The price is…read moreright ($500 a month) for convenient location and easy parking, however the wifi is spotty. There is an ugly band of seemingly abandoned boats that you see when you first pull in the driveway, but the neighboring areas have been cleaned up significantly. The marina itself has undergone some slow improvements, like fixing up the decks and walkways, and a nice clubhouse with men's and women's bathrooms, gym and a small convenience shop. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive and we get a discount on propane. Folks are friendly and it is just a short walk to Giusti's.

It's out of the way, but very pleasant, quiet, and serves its purpose. I overnighted here at the…read moreguest dock after spending the day in Railroad cut and Locke. Brandon, the office worker (harbor master?) was very helpful. The office is staffed until 7 p.m.; I left Locke at 6:15 and called ahead to let Brandon know that I was on my way and that if I arrived a little after 7, to please wait. At 6:45, Brandon was on the dock ready to help me tie up. It's a bit expensive ($40/night) but it is the only marina in the area that can accomodate a large houseboat. Shore power is available, but we didn't take it. The marina is walking distance from Giusti's Italian restaurant and the town of Walnut Grove. If you can handle the 2 mile walk on the levee in scorching heat, then you can visit Locke.

The service is great as Noah and everyone else is super friendly…read more There is less rat or bat droppings but the smell of rat or bat pee or whatever is still overwhelming when it is hot. It's been 2 years and the rat or bat problem is still there. Just not as bad I guess. Just gave them 2 stars cause they are always super friendly.

We went there after drifting to their dock and couldn't find anyone but a boat owner. then we…read morefinally found a guy that worked there. we had called vessel assist and they were an hour and a half away. so to pass the time away we went into the town to find somewhere with air conditioning and we came back to get the others but he made us go back to the dock and we had to untie and drift away or pay to stay for 20 more minutes. The guy didn't even close yet. When we usually break down marinas are always so helpful but this one was not. I WOULD NEVER IN MY LIFETIME COME BACK HERE TO DO ANY BUSINESS OR RECOMMEND ANYONE ELSE SHOULD.

5-stars for Gene and Deckhands Marine. Drain plug on our 2002 Mercruiser 5.0L failed on a Sunday…read moremorning. Called all shops and everybody was closed - except Deckhands. He said to bring parts or pics and he'd try to help. Arrived with pics and, amazingly, after spending 30 minutes determining the correct part, Gene emerged from his parts bin with 2 new plugs. I threaded them back into block and presto - problem solved. His extra effort to help and a mere $5 in parts saved our family weekend. I'm old school and appreciate genuine service - Deckhands delivers in spades

Deckhands is a delta classic! Great place to get you boat fixed or docked. Gene is always out to…read morehelp people and is usually the 1st on hand to save a boat that is about to hit the bridge. His shop has EVERYTHING YOU need for your boating adventure. Not sure what the previous reviewer had to complain about..except I suspect he had more personal reasons to leave a bad review. Come out to walnut grove and say hi to Gene..he's always around to help out. The walnut grove community would be lost without him. :) Happy boating!

While the Walnut Grove Public Dock is a solid option for day use, there is no electric power there…read moreif your boat needs to plug in for overnights. Dagmar's has guest slips with 30A power and water so that makes an overnight much more convenient. Facilities were a lot cleaner than boathouse marina and the harbor master, Taryn, is super friendly and helpful. There is no security gate on the ramp. It's a 3 minute walk to Walnut Grove across the bridge. CASH ONLY so bring some of that old school stuff. Call ahead of time to make a reservation.

Our guide was Joe, and he was great to work with, very knowledgeable and also very fun. I requested…read morea half day run for Mother's Day weekend, and my family of 4 (kids are 13 and 10) all had a blast.

We've rafted twice more with All-Outdoors since my last review - Goodwin Canyon in October 2022,…read moreand then Middle Fork American River again this past month (both 1-day trips). The last time we rafted Middle Fork American was on a cold, gloomy, drizzling day in October 2019 - so we had to give it another go in warmer weather. This time around was just as memorable. Two of us in the boat ended up falling out in the water at Tunnel Chute, which happened so fast that I barely knew what had happened - thankfully, there was a nice calmer stretch of water right after through the river tunnel, so we were easily able to get back into the raft. (Thank you to our guide, Troy, for hauling me back in, and for being an awesome guide in general!) Plus this was one of the photographer spots, so the action was all captured for us to laugh about later. Later, after our tasty sandwich picnic lunch, we had a few unexpected events happen, starting from the portage down Ruck-a-Chucky Falls. Shout-out to all three guides in our group - Troy, Shea, and AJ - for handling things so calmly and getting us all back where we were supposed to be! We had plenty of calm stretches floating down the river as well. The canyon is beautiful and quite peaceful. We saw a ton of dragonflies flying above our heads, masked ducks chilling on rocks and diving underwater, and wild grapes and blackberries growing alongside the river. We'll be back again for another trip with All-Outdoors! Maybe we'll try a 2-day or 3-day trip next time.

What was once a worthwhile club appears to be in clear decline. From my direct experience, the…read morewarning signs are hard to ignore: management turnover, frustrated employees, and ownership that no longer seems willing to invest in the club's future. Prospective buyers should look closely before committing. The fleet is now made up of aging boats, roughly 4-6 years old, and the wear is evident. Inventory has reportedly been reduced from 9 boats to 5, including only 2 surf boats, while pricing remains unchanged. At the same time, members are being asked to move to an "unlimited bookings" model that still limits usage to no more than 3 bookings per month!!! Last season alone, boats experienced issues ranging from failed ballast pumps and broken amps to damaged railings and inconsistent availability. Yet despite reduced inventory, aging equipment, and declining service levels, ownership appears intent on maintaining the same pricing without meaningful reinvestment. Anyone considering joining should do their homework, verify the facts independently, and speak with former members. Membership has reportedly fallen from 42 to 17 and continues to trend downward. That kind of decline does not happen without reason.

The service at this place is amazing, from the person checking you in at the top parking lot, to…read moregetting you squared away down at the gas dock. Instructions were provided concisely in an easy to understand format for new drivers. We rented a Chaparral for 4 hours on Labor Day and it couldn't have gone smoother. The boat was in excellent condition and everyone had a great time. Gas came out to about $57, keeping in mind we had 5 adults, lots of food, and towed a tube during our rental period. Definitely recommend Berryessa Water Sports and will see them again soon!