ORGANIZATION AND PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
ORGANIZATION AND PRESENTATION (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
ORGANIZATION AND PRESENTATION
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts and operations and those of MGP, MGP II, ARLP (a variable interest entity of which AHGP is the primary beneficiary), ARLP's consolidated Intermediate Partnership and the Intermediate Partnership's operating subsidiaries and present the financial position as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016. ARLP and its consolidated subsidiaries represent virtually all the net assets and operations of AHGP. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. See Note 8 – Variable Interest Entities for information regarding our consolidation of ARLP. The earnings of the ARLP Partnership allocated to its limited partners' interests not owned by us are reflected as a noncontrolling interest in our condensed consolidated statements of income and balance sheet. Our consolidated financial statements do not differ materially from those of the ARLP Partnership. The differences between our financial statements and those of the ARLP Partnership are primarily attributable to (a) amounts reported as noncontrolling interests and (b) additional general and administrative costs and taxes attributable to us. The additional general and administrative costs principally consist of costs incurred by us as a result of being a publicly traded partnership, amounts billed by, and reimbursed to, Alliance Coal under an administrative services agreement and amounts billed by, and reimbursed to, AGP under our partnership agreement. Net income attributable to Alliance Holdings GP, L.P. from within our accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements will be described as "Net Income of AHGP." These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes are unaudited. However, in the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the periods presented. Results presented for prior periods have been recast to reflect an immaterial reclassification of depreciation, depletion, and amortization capitalized into coal inventory as an adjustment to Depreciation, depletion, and amortization rather than Operating expenses (excluding depreciation, depletion and amortization). This reclassification did not impact Total operating expenses, Income from operations, Net income, Net income of AHGP or Basic and diluted net income of AHGP per limited partner unit. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2017. These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes are prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for interim reporting and do not include all of the information normally included with financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") of the U.S. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of AHGP Partnership's condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in our condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Investments	Investments The ARLP Partnership's investments and ownership interests in which it does not have a controlling financial interest are accounted for either under the cost method of accounting if the ARLP Partnership does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the entity, or under the equity method of accounting if the ARLP Partnership has the ability to exercise significant influence over the entity. Historical cost is used to account for investments accounted for under the cost method and distributions received on those investments are recorded as income unless those distributions are considered a return on investment in which case the historical cost is reduced. The ARLP Partnership's cost method investment includes Kodiak Gas Services, LLC ("Kodiak"). See Note 9 – Investments for further discussion of this cost method investment. Investments accounted for under the equity method are initially recorded at cost, and the difference between the basis of the ARLP Partnership's investment and the underlying equity in the net assets of the joint venture at the investment date, if any, is amortized over the lives of the related assets that gave rise to the difference. In the event the ARLP Partnership's ownership entitles it to a disproportionate sharing of income or loss, the ARLP Partnership's equity in income or losses of affiliates is allocated based on the hypothetical liquidation at book value ("HLBV") method of accounting. Under the HLBV method, equity in income or losses of affiliates is allocated based on the difference between the ARLP Partnership's claim on the net assets of the equity method investee at the end and beginning of the period, with consideration of certain eliminating entries regarding differences of accounting for various related-party transactions, after taking into account contributions and distributions, if any. The ARLP Partnership's share of the net assets of the equity method investee is calculated as the amount it would receive if the equity method investee were to liquidate all of its assets at net book value and distribute the resulting cash to creditors, other investors and the ARLP Partnership according to the respective priorities. None of our current equity investments use the HLBV method. Our last use of this method was in 2015 which will be discussed in our upcoming Form 10-K. The ARLP Partnership's equity method investments include AllDale Minerals, LP ("AllDale I"), and AllDale Minerals II, LP ("AllDale II") (collectively "AllDale Minerals"), both held by the ARLP Partnership's subsidiary Cavalier Minerals JV, LLC ("Cavalier Minerals"). The ARLP Partnership also has an equity method investment in AllDale Minerals III, LP ("AllDale III") which is not held through Cavalier Minerals but rather held directly by the ARLP Partnership. See Note 9 – Investments for further discussion of these equity method investments. The ARLP Partnership reviews its investments and ownership interests accounted for under both the equity method of accounting and the cost method of accounting for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate a loss in the value of the investment may be other-than-temporary.
New Accounting Standards	New Accounting Standards Issued and Adopted In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2017-04, Intangibles–Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment ("ASU 2017-04"). The ASU simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating the need for an entity to determine the implied fair value of goodwill to calculate an impairment charge. Under the new guidance an entity compares the fair value of the reporting unit containing the goodwill to its carrying value and records any excess carrying value as an impairment charge. This new standard is applied prospectively and is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019; however, early adoption is permitted. We have early adopted this new standard and will apply the guidance to any future goodwill impairment assessments. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation–Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2016-09"). ASU 2016-09 simplifies the accounting for several aspects of share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, flexibility in the accounting for forfeitures and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 was effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory ("ASU 2015-11"). ASU 2015-11 simplifies the subsequent measurement of inventory. It replaces the current lower of cost or market test with the lower of cost or net realizable value test. Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. The new standard was applied prospectively and was effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of ASU 2015-11 did not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. New Accounting Standards Issued and Not Yet Adopted In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation–Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) ("ASU 2017-07"). ASU 2017-07 requires that an employer disaggregate the service cost component from the other components of net benefit cost. It also provides explicit guidance on how to present the service cost component and the other components of net benefit cost in the income statement and allows only the service cost component of net benefit cost to be eligible for capitalization. The new guidance will be applied retroactively to all periods presented. ASU 2017-07 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. We do not anticipate ASU 2017-07 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments–Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"). ASU 2016-13 changes the impairment model for most financial assets and certain other instruments to require the use of a new forward-looking "expected loss" model that generally will result in earlier recognition of allowances for losses. The new standard will require disclosure of significantly more information related to these items. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted for the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods. We are currently evaluating the effect of adopting ASU 2016-13, but do not anticipate it will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 increases transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lessees to record right-to-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about lease arrangements. The new guidance will classify leases as either finance or operating (similar to current standard's "capital" or "operating" classification), with classification affecting the pattern of income recognition in the statement of income. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We have developed an assessment team and are currently evaluating the effect of adopting ASU 2016-02. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASU 2014-09"). ASU 2014-09 is a new revenue recognition standard that provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The core principle of the new standard is as follows: An entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 was originally effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date ("ASU 2015-14"), which deferred the effective date by one year while providing the option to early adopt the standard on the original effective date. The ARLP Partnership developed an assessment team to determine the effect of adopting ASU 2014-09. As part of the assessment process, the ARLP Partnership applied the five-step analysis outlined in the new standard to certain contracts representative of the majority of its coal sales contracts and determined that its pattern of recognition appears consistent between both the new and existing standards. The ARLP Partnership also reviewed the expanded disclosure requirements under the new standard and determined the additional information to be disclosed. In addition the ARLP Partnership reviewed its business processes, systems and internal controls over financial reporting to support the new recognition and disclosure requirements under the new standard. Based on the results of the ARLP Partnership's assessment team, the ARLP Partnership has started its implementation of the new standard. The ARLP Partnership continues to report its implementation progress for the new standard to its management and MGP's audit committee. The ARLP Partnership continues to monitor closely (a) activities of the FASB and various non-authoritative groups with respect to implementation issues that may impact its determinations, (b) existing contracts for consistency with current implementation determinations derived from it assessment process and (c) its revenue recognition policy, where applicable, for required modifications. We do not expect that the adoption of the new standard will have a material impact on our financial statements, but will require expanded disclosures including presenting, by type and by segment, revenues for all periods presented and expected revenues by year for performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied as of the date of presentation. The new standard allows for two methods of adoption: a full retrospective adoption method and a modified retrospective method. We have elected to use the modified retrospective method of adoption which allows a cumulative effect adjustment to equity as of the date of adoption. As we do not anticipate a change in the recognition pattern of our revenues, we do not expect to have a cumulative effect adjustment when we adopt the new standard.

Disclosure of accounting policy for investments in financial assets, including marketable securities (debt and equity securities with readily determinable fair values), investments accounted for under the equity method and cost method, securities borrowed and loaned, and repurchase and resale agreements. For marketable securities, the disclosure may include the entity's accounting treatment for transfers between investment categories and how the fair values for such securities are determined. Also, for all investments, an entity may describe its policy for assessing, recognizing and measuring impairment of the investment.