Like a Midwestern Varenna, stacked against the cliff
Grafton: 48-Hour Escape from St. Louis
A river town under limestone bluffs where the Great River Road hugs the water and a gondola climbs to an overlook.
Grafton: A river town under limestone bluffs where the Great River Road hugs the water and a gondola climbs to an overlook.
At a glance
Grafton, Missouri is a 45 min drive from St. Louis, best visited October, April-May. Like a Midwestern Varenna, stacked against the cliff. Top things to do: Grafton SkyTour gondola and Aerie's Winery, Pere Marquette State Park and the eagle watching, The Brussels Ferry and Elsah. Where to eat: The Loading Dock, Aerie's Winery restaurant, Pere Marquette Lodge dining room. Stay at Aerie's Resort or Pere Marquette Lodge and cabins.
76
of 100
Escape score
Worth the drive on its own
A short drive for what you get.
- Drive
- 45 min from St. Louis
- Best window
- October, April-May
- Typical stay
- ~$183/night
Escape score: what there is to do and eat (40%), typical weekend lodging cost (30%), drive time (25%), rounding (5%). Computed from our own guide data, never from paid placement.
Why here
Grafton sits on the Illinois side of the Mississippi just above the point where the Illinois River comes in, a town of a few hundred people strung along a strip of land between the water and a wall of limestone bluff. It was a quarry and river-port town in the 1800s, shipping lime and stone downriver, and when that work faded the buildings stayed: a handful of brick storefronts, a couple of churches on the slope, and houses tucked wherever the ground allowed.
The geography is the draw. The Great River Road runs through town at the foot of the bluff, the river is wide and slow here, and a gondola lifts visitors from the highway up to a winery and restaurant on top of the ridge with the whole valley laid out below. Across the river is the confluence country, and a free ferry crosses to Calhoun County, an isolated peninsula of orchards and dirt roads that feels a decade behind. North of town, Pere Marquette State Park holds the largest tract of state park land in Illinois, with limestone canyons, a lodge built by the CCC in the 1930s, and bald eagles in winter.
A weekend here is a two-night river weekend. Ride the gondola for sunset on Friday, drive the river road and the Brussels ferry on Saturday, and hike Pere Marquette on Sunday morning. October brings the color and the eagle season starts in December; summer is for the water and the boats.
The plan
48 hours in Grafton
Same town, two different weekends. Pick the arrival that matches your Friday.
Friday, on arrival
Check inAerie's Resort
From ~$210/night
Cabins, treehouses, and rooms on the bluff above town, attached to the winery and the gondola, with decks facing the river valley. The view stay.
Leave St. Louis after work: the 45 min drive lands you here in the evening.
Friday night
Dinner, then the main streetThe Loading Dock
A riverside bar and grill built on the bank with a deck over the water, serving fried food, cold beer, and boat traffic to watch. Go at sunset.
Eat first and walk it off after. Most small-town kitchens stop seating by 9.
Saturday morning
First stopGrafton SkyTour gondola and Aerie's Winery
Sky lift ~$15 round trip. A chairlift and gondola from the river road to the ridge top, with a winery, a restaurant, and a raptor center at the top an...
Saturday midday
LunchAerie's Winery restaurant
The restaurant at the top of the gondola, with a terrace facing the valley, a short menu of flatbreads and plates, and the best table in the area at g...
Saturday afternoon
Second stopPere Marquette State Park and the eagle watching
Free, lodge and some programs extra. Limestone canyons, ridge trails, and the best bald eagle viewing on the river from December through February belo...
Saturday night
DinnerPere Marquette Lodge dining room
The state park lodge's dining room in the CCC stone building, with fried chicken, catfish, and a fireplace big enough to sit inside. The rainy-day pla...
Sunday morning
Last stop, then homeThe Brussels Ferry and Elsah
Ferry free. A free crossing to Calhoun County's orchard roads, then back down the river road to Elsah, a stone village of 1830s houses that looks unto...
45 min back to St. Louis still leaves you the afternoon.
Timings are a suggestion, not a schedule. Shift the whole plan by how late you leave.
The Basecamp
Where to stay in Grafton
Aerie's Resort
Cabins, treehouses, and rooms on the bluff above town, attached to the winery and the gondola, with decks facing the river valley. The view stay.
Pere Marquette Lodge and cabins
The 1930s CCC lodge in the state park, with a stone fireplace the size of a room, a restaurant, and cabins along the bluff road. The classic pick.
Grafton riverfront rentals
Houses and cottages along the highway with porches facing the water, most with room for a group and a fire pit. The group pick.
What to do
Grafton SkyTour gondola and Aerie's Winery
Sky lift ~$15 round trip. A chairlift and gondola from the river road to the ridge top, with a winery, a restaurant, and a raptor center at the top and the whole confluence below.
Pere Marquette State Park and the eagle watching
Free, lodge and some programs extra. Limestone canyons, ridge trails, and the best bald eagle viewing on the river from December through February below the dam at Alton.
The Brussels Ferry and Elsah
Ferry free. A free crossing to Calhoun County's orchard roads, then back down the river road to Elsah, a stone village of 1830s houses that looks untouched.
Pack for Grafton
River & paddle kit
Curated for swimming holes, float trips, and slow rivers in Grafton.
Waterproof phone pouch
Lanyard-sealed, touchscreen-friendly, and cheap enough to distrust.
See price on Amazon →Inflatable paddle board
Rolls into a backpack, floats all day on flat water.
See price on Amazon →Quick-dry water shoes
For rocky put-ins, gravel bars, and hot parking lots.
See price on Amazon →Floating sunglasses retainer
Because the river keeps every pair it is given.
See price on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, book2escape earns from qualifying purchases.
Where to eat
The Loading Dock
A riverside bar and grill built on the bank with a deck over the water, serving fried food, cold beer, and boat traffic to watch. Go at sunset.
Aerie's Winery restaurant
The restaurant at the top of the gondola, with a terrace facing the valley, a short menu of flatbreads and plates, and the best table in the area at golden hour.
Pere Marquette Lodge dining room
The state park lodge's dining room in the CCC stone building, with fried chicken, catfish, and a fireplace big enough to sit inside. The rainy-day plan.
Most reviewed on Yelp
The most-reviewed restaurants in Grafton. A solid indicator of where locals actually eat.
Grafton Pub
Pubs
Hawg Pit Bbq Barn
Barbeque
Grafton Harbor
Beer, Wine & Spirits
Review counts and ratings are curated from Yelp and may change over time.
Getting there
Drive logistics
From St. Louis, take the Great River Road north from Alton on IL-100, about 40 miles and roughly 45 minutes to Grafton. The river road is the scenic route and the fast route at once. Parking in town is along the highway and free; the gondola lot is at the south end of town, and the Brussels ferry runs continuously during daylight.
Drive time
45 min
Best time
October, April-May
Questions & Answers
Grafton weekend FAQ
Grafton is about 40 miles north of St. Louis along the Great River Road, roughly 45 minutes from the city.
Ride the SkyTour gondola to Aerie's Winery, drive the river road, take the free Brussels ferry, hike Pere Marquette State Park, and walk the stone village of Elsah.
December through February, when eagles gather below the dam at Alton. The state park runs viewing programs and the river road has pull-offs along the water.
It is close enough for a day trip and good enough for two nights, with the gondola, the state park, and the ferry filling a weekend without rushing.
About $15 for a round trip on the SkyTour chairlift and gondola. The winery and restaurant at the top are separate.
Yes. The ferry across the Illinois River to Calhoun County is free, runs during daylight, and puts you on the orchard roads of a peninsula with almost no traffic.
The Dispatch
Next weekend, in your inbox
One underrated town every week, with the same 48-hour plan you just read. Starting with somewhere near St. Louis.
No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.