Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock
Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock
4.5
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
106 reviews
Excellent
73
Very good
12
Average
6
Poor
6
Terrible
9
Rhonda R
Kansas City, MO141 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We rented the boat through a 3rd party rental operation. The staff at the marina were friendly, helpful and accommodating and we had no complaints about them. If you are an inexperienced boater, be sure to ask about location of life vests etc as we had to search for them. That said the boats are very basic and, though fairly clean, the fuel and oil pressure gauges didn’t work, some of the lights weren’t working and there are no vents for cooling the upper bunk area. This isn’t a luxury vessel! The lake is stunning and late season is perfect if you don’t want a lot of company.
Written September 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Todd L
2 contributions
Aug 2021
We had a total of 15 of us staying in multiple rooms for 2 nights. Spent a full day on a pontoon boat (the slide was definitely a hit) and ski boat -- brave ones tubed :). All was wonderful! The people couldn't have been nicer, the lake beautiful, the boats clean and nice. Pool was great! Cooking area (that we actually didn't use) was nice to have as an option. Rooms were clean, neat and just right.
Written August 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ken F
High Point, NC191 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
Contacted these folks to do a river fishing trip. The company them gave us for guides was All About Trout, LLC, and they were great. Unfortunately the Marina did not inform us of a lot of additional fees that were included and they added another almost 12% to the total bill. They did not inform us to come to the marina and fill out paperwork forms for the trip which required going there after a long day of air travel. The didn't tell us the trip included a box lunch as part of the package.
Good to ask questions prior to booking so there are no surprises!
Good to ask questions prior to booking so there are no surprises!
Written June 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lifetime Native
Bull Shoals, AR9 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
Bull shoals boat dock used to be a awesome place to visit. Ever since John passed, it has gone downhill at a rapid rate. I posted some pictures of the bathrooms they expect their customers to use.
Written August 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
boatdock_bull
Illinois1 contribution
Two years ago we rented the 50 foot boat,the boat was old and falling apart so this year,after seeing the pictures,decided to rent the newer 60 foot houseboat for a week,to our surprise,it too was falling apart and was much smaller than the pictures looked.We had 7 people and was barely enough room,I couldn't imagine 12-14,that's rediculous.The showers trickled out and didn't drain properly,the water spilled out all over the floor.We also rented a small boat,25 hp.jubilee.
On our 5th night,there was a thunderstorm,when we woke ,we saw that the small boat tipped over because of the rain.Two seats fell out and the battery.
We immediatly called the boatdock,two guys came out and with my husbands help,managed to turn the boat over.While the guys were there,our water stopped working and it took them most of the day to get it running again.
That evening we decided to leave a day early because of how uncomfortable it was staying in that houseboat.
When we went to check-out the lady gave us a bill for the damage ,that the rain did,for the 25hp.jubilee...$997.00 for 2 seats,a batterie and misc.other damages.
There was NOTHING we could have done to have prevented this boat from sinking in the rain and we were sleeping when it happened,why should we pay for something that we had no control over? It wasn't our fault.
My husband refused to pay such a rediculous bill,so the lady called the police,he had a choice to pay or go to jail.He paid the bill,we are still concidering getting a lawyer but this place is 2 states away from our home.
The staff was very rude and firm on the idea of charging us for the damages.If my husband wasn't helping those guys turn the boat over,it would have sunk completely.
This was the worse trip we ever took and we would NEVER recommend Bull Shoals Boat Dock to anyone,especially repeat customers.
On our 5th night,there was a thunderstorm,when we woke ,we saw that the small boat tipped over because of the rain.Two seats fell out and the battery.
We immediatly called the boatdock,two guys came out and with my husbands help,managed to turn the boat over.While the guys were there,our water stopped working and it took them most of the day to get it running again.
That evening we decided to leave a day early because of how uncomfortable it was staying in that houseboat.
When we went to check-out the lady gave us a bill for the damage ,that the rain did,for the 25hp.jubilee...$997.00 for 2 seats,a batterie and misc.other damages.
There was NOTHING we could have done to have prevented this boat from sinking in the rain and we were sleeping when it happened,why should we pay for something that we had no control over? It wasn't our fault.
My husband refused to pay such a rediculous bill,so the lady called the police,he had a choice to pay or go to jail.He paid the bill,we are still concidering getting a lawyer but this place is 2 states away from our home.
The staff was very rude and firm on the idea of charging us for the damages.If my husband wasn't helping those guys turn the boat over,it would have sunk completely.
This was the worse trip we ever took and we would NEVER recommend Bull Shoals Boat Dock to anyone,especially repeat customers.
Written May 16, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jthos215
Dallas, TX21 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
Rented a 50' houseboat for 3 days in July 2017.
Really disappointed.
Advertising shows these pics of beautiful, clean houseboats.
When I arrived with our group and saw the inside of the boat we knew this was not going to go well. Very unorganized getting people out. the boat itself was unclean and OLD.
There were no other boats available, but even if we could have gotten a different boat, they were all in same condition. Bad value for the Money. had the boat been like advertised then the money would have been a good value. but these boats are junk.
So we took it .
Going out after driving about 15 miles by water we noticed the engine didn't run well.
Sluggish.
Later found the oven didn't work, the gas grill on rear deck was old and didn;t work well at all.
Lights and outlets were out. Some worked.
If you have to rent a houseboat here, get the largest size boat. they only have a few of them for rentals. At least they are little newer and much larger.
However, I would avoid any rental of houseboat. The old boats are small, bad beds, unclean, not repaired, run bad and OLD.
Be Cautious.
As far as the Marina and help. The marina is good and help was good. No complaints. Just unorganized--which is not a help problem. It is a management problem here and bad boats.
Really disappointed.
Advertising shows these pics of beautiful, clean houseboats.
When I arrived with our group and saw the inside of the boat we knew this was not going to go well. Very unorganized getting people out. the boat itself was unclean and OLD.
There were no other boats available, but even if we could have gotten a different boat, they were all in same condition. Bad value for the Money. had the boat been like advertised then the money would have been a good value. but these boats are junk.
So we took it .
Going out after driving about 15 miles by water we noticed the engine didn't run well.
Sluggish.
Later found the oven didn't work, the gas grill on rear deck was old and didn;t work well at all.
Lights and outlets were out. Some worked.
If you have to rent a houseboat here, get the largest size boat. they only have a few of them for rentals. At least they are little newer and much larger.
However, I would avoid any rental of houseboat. The old boats are small, bad beds, unclean, not repaired, run bad and OLD.
Be Cautious.
As far as the Marina and help. The marina is good and help was good. No complaints. Just unorganized--which is not a help problem. It is a management problem here and bad boats.
Written August 28, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LakeBound123
Waynesville, MO24 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
I’m writing to make all visitors to this dock aware of a situation that occurred on August 26th, at approximately 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the Marina. A friend and myself drove to this Marina at the approximately 2 to 3 mile mark by the Dam to get fuel in our two sea doo waverunners. We purchased $92 in fuel and we’re certain we gave the attendant, a young man in his early 20’s, five, twenty dollar bills to cover the cost of the fuel and a tip. We then idled just outside the no wake area and jumped in to cool off. This attendant drove a work boat out to us and said, “you only gave me four, twenty dollar bills and my boss told me to go get it” meaning another twenty dollar bill. Needless to say, this should have been confirmed when he took our money on the dock at the point of sale.
I’m writing this to make sure this doesn’t happen to other customers visiting this marina. GET A RECIEPT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE DOCK! We will probably not come back to this marina since we’re confident we were scammed out of an additional $20. Again the point is, the attendant should have known at the time the money was given to him whether or not there was enough to pay for the $92 in fuel. The 125 Marina and the Diamond City marina are two great other options. Heads up folks.
I’m writing this to make sure this doesn’t happen to other customers visiting this marina. GET A RECIEPT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE DOCK! We will probably not come back to this marina since we’re confident we were scammed out of an additional $20. Again the point is, the attendant should have known at the time the money was given to him whether or not there was enough to pay for the $92 in fuel. The 125 Marina and the Diamond City marina are two great other options. Heads up folks.
Written September 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yomamahama
St. Louis39 contributions
WE rented a 50' house boat from Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock for a week. Everyone at the dock is very friendly and helpful and the lake is beautifulI.I will not ever rent a 50' house boat from there again. The 50' boats are very old and ours broke down 2 times in 7 days. Lucky for us the first time we were at the dock just pulling away. They did send a crew out right away. We spent a couple of hours at the dock that day while the boat was worked on. No a/c and you can not get in the water there. Still we knew we had rented an old boat and things break. Then 2 days later we broke down again! This time we went to Branson for the day instead of hanging out at the dock. We did not want to do either one of these things on our vacation.
Running the a/c uses a lot of gas which is very expensive. So we just thought we would keep the windows open. There were screens missing on 4 windows so at night when the lights were on there were lots of bugs and during the day we were run out by the flies! The refrigerator did not work. I just used it as a shady place to keep the bugs off of food.
Even with all of the things we were disappointed in we loved our vacation. The lake is beautiful!!! So beautiful!
Everyone at Bull Shoals Boat Dock was great! Over all we loved it so much we rented a 60' house boat next year. These are newer and got great reviews from other people we talked to. They have 4 bedrooms, water slide, 2 working refirgerators, screens on all the windows. Ya' live and learn!
For all our troubles this year, next year they are letting us use a wave runner for a day free of charge. That is a $550 value. Bull Shoals Boat Dock did not have to do anything like this. We signed a contract knowing they are not responsible for loss of water time due to mechanical failure.
Running the a/c uses a lot of gas which is very expensive. So we just thought we would keep the windows open. There were screens missing on 4 windows so at night when the lights were on there were lots of bugs and during the day we were run out by the flies! The refrigerator did not work. I just used it as a shady place to keep the bugs off of food.
Even with all of the things we were disappointed in we loved our vacation. The lake is beautiful!!! So beautiful!
Everyone at Bull Shoals Boat Dock was great! Over all we loved it so much we rented a 60' house boat next year. These are newer and got great reviews from other people we talked to. They have 4 bedrooms, water slide, 2 working refirgerators, screens on all the windows. Ya' live and learn!
For all our troubles this year, next year they are letting us use a wave runner for a day free of charge. That is a $550 value. Bull Shoals Boat Dock did not have to do anything like this. We signed a contract knowing they are not responsible for loss of water time due to mechanical failure.
Written August 25, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane T
2 contributions
Aug 2020
Rented houseboat August 3-10 - pictures on the website look good, the boat was in horrible condition. It had a sign on the sliding door that the boat had been sanitized - it was not even remotely clean, let alone sanitized. The welding on the exterior pulls on the boat was so rusted my husband almost fell off when he reached out to grab it getting in from the water. The engine of the boat was SO sluggish and only a few outlets worked. Would really like to contact someone to check them out - like health department - ? Not sure who.
Don't make the mistake we did!
Don't make the mistake we did!
Written August 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michele D
Burgettstown, PA10 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
We rented a house boat for a week from Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock and had the most fabulous time! The lake is beautiful and the family that runs the marina are awesome! Very friendly and accommodating! I will recommend them to anyone!
Written October 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi!
Its very simple and only about a 5 minute drive! You just leave the marina and take a left onto HWY 178, towards Mountain Home. You'll follow 178 and drive right onto the Dam.
Hope this helps! Let me know if I need to be more clear.
Thanks and have fun!
Written July 31, 2016
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