Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Cora Island Unit
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
1,402 acres
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in West Alton
Few parks or trails are on the map in West Alton
18% of West Alton’s land is conserved, about 3,398 acres. 3,277 acres are parks and preserves, 7,017 per 1,000 residents. 34 miles of mapped trail cross West Alton, 1.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
18%
3,398 acres · of 28.8 sq mi of land
Trails
34 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,277 ac
7,017 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
20%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.8 mi
2.8 mi lanes · 3.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
10
15 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
West Alton Memorial Park
Park
2 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
3,398 conserved acres
18% of West Alton’s land. Water is left out: West Alton has 28.8 square miles of land and 8.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages West Alton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,035 ac
Private owners88 ac
Not recorded1,274 ac
Local Conservation Area · 2,014 acState Park · 1,113 acState Conservation Area · 162 acLocal Park · 110 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usace-Cora Island Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 1,448 | Open |
| Edward "ted" And Pat Jones-confluence Point State Park State Park | Not recorded | 1,113 | Open |
| Maple Island Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 470 | Open |
| Upper Mississippi Waterfowl Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 162 | Restricted |
| Ellis Island Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 96 | Open |
| Mdc Island Property Local Park | Private owners | 88 | Open |
| West Alton City Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
Things to do
23 places to go in West Alton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in West Alton
Alta Villa Access
DirectionsAlton Lake Access
DirectionsDresser Island
DirectionsDresser Island
DirectionsDresser Island
DirectionsDresser Island
DirectionsEllis Bay Access
DirectionsEllis Lake
Directions7 more boat launches
Handicap Ramp
DirectionsHarbor Point Yacht Club
DirectionsLincoln Shields Ramp
DirectionsMO River
DirectionsMaple Island Access
DirectionsSpatterdock Lake Access
DirectionsTeal Pond Access
DirectionsScenic views in West Alton
Avis Spiralis
DirectionsBird Viewing Area
DirectionsBlind
DirectionsMississippi & Missouri River Confluence Point
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in West Alton
Lincoln Shields Recreation Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in West Alton
Ellis IslandACOE
DirectionsMaple IslandACOE
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 13.2 mi
Paul E Bauer Memorial Trail at Heron Pond1.1 mi
Hiking Loop0.8 mi
Ted & Pat Jones Trail0.5 mi
Two Pecans North0.4 mi
Two Pecan Trail0.4 mi
Confluence Point Trail0.3 mi
2nd Connector0.1 mi
Trail to Point0.1 mi
3rd Connector0.1 mi
Biking & sports
5.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in West Alton
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 45 | 56 | 67 | 77 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 80 | 69 | 55 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.6 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.9 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in West Alton →
Next door
West Alton and its neighbors
West Alton has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
West Alton34 miGodfrey13 miElsah Township11 miAlton8.1 miAlton Township8.1 miWood River Township6.3 miChouteau Township1.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Alton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Alton
Where can I hike in West Alton?
The longest trail networks: West Alton Memorial Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on West Alton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Cora Island Unit (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Alton?
5.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.8 of painted or protected lanes and 3.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near West Alton?
17,459 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Alton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,277 of them inside the city line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from West Alton neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →