Healing Waters and Outdoor Adventures at Chena Hot Springs Resort

Whether you’re looking for a tranquil day trip or a rejuvenating overnight wellness retreat, Chena Hot Springs Resort is the perfect setting. This privately owned, year-round resort sits on 440 acres outside Fairbanks and blends together the natural beauty of the Alaska wilderness with the soothing relaxation of its hot springs.

Getting There

Located approximately 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs Resort is relatively easy to access despite its remote location. The most common way to reach the resort is by car, making for a scenic hour-and-a-half drive from Fairbanks along the Chena Hot Springs Road. The route itself is a part of the adventure, passing through Chena River State Recreation Area, a preserve that offers some of the best outdoor activities in the area including hiking, canoeing, and fishing.

If you prefer not to drive, the resort offers a roundtrip shuttle service from Fairbanks for a fee. While a convenience, it also offers you the opportunity to relax and enjoy the scenery along the way.

Experiences

While best known for its therapeutic hot springs, Chena Hot Springs Resort offers a range of wellness and outdoor activities designed to add a bit of adventure and rejuvenation to your stay. 

Chena’s healing waters have drawn visitors for centuries, promising relaxation and a cure for all kinds of ailments. Open year-round, these soothing waters provide a perfect escape regardless of the season, allowing guests to unwind. With an indoor heated pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and access to the famous hot springs lake, guests have plenty of options for relaxation. To complement the wellness aspect of the hot springs, the resort offers a range of massage and spa treatments, providing the perfect way to further relax and nurture both body and mind.

While no one would judge you if you spent all your time soaking in the hot springs, more adventures await.

The resort is home to the world’s largest year-round ice environment, the Aurora Ice Museum. Take a 45-minute guided tour through this frozen wonderland constructed from over 1,000 tons of ice and snow. Kept at 25 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, inside the museum you’ll find a gallery of iconic ice sculptures, a polar bear bedroom, an igloo, and an ice outhouse. At the end of the tour, you can make a stop at the Ice Bar and enjoy a refreshing drink served in a glass made of ice.

In addition to the museum, the resort offers two tours year-round: a sled dog kennel tour and a tour of its geothermal energy projects and greenhouse. The kennel tour gives you the opportunity to learn all about dog mushing, offering insight into training, care, and daily life of the sled dogs in the kennel. The geothermal energy and greenhouse tour showcases the resort’s innovative use of geothermal energy to power its facilities and heat its greenhouses, where fresh produce is grown year-round.

During the fall and spring seasons, the resort offers extraordinary outdoor adventures. A dog mushing tour gives you a chance to be pulled along a scenic trail by a team of dogs, providing a thrilling and immersive experience normally reserved for the winter months. Additionally, the aurora viewing tour offers guests a chance to witness the breathtaking northern lights from the comfort of heated yurts. This guided tour takes you two miles up the mountains to the Charlie Dome, a prime viewing location, where on a clear night, you’ll hopefully witness a beautiful display of colors lighting up the night sky.

Summer months at the resort provide even more outdoor activities designed to showcase the best of what the Alaska wilderness has to offer. As a guest, you can explore scenic hiking trails, participate in guided ATV tours around the Monument Creek trail, or take a peaceful horseback ride along the scenic trails found throughout the resort.

If you’re planning to visit the resort during the winter months, the adventures are never ending. In addition to the aurora viewing opportunities, you can also enjoy activities like a guided dog sledding tour, a snowmachining tour, a sub-Arctic ice fishing experience, and a serene sunset tour. Each experience offers a unique way to engage with the stunning winter landscape, offering something for everyone to enjoy in this winter wonderland.

Day Trips

If you’re short on time, a day trip to Chena Hot Springs is a great way to experience the resort’s key attractions. Start an experience with a dip in the hot springs, and then grab a bite at the resort’s on-site restaurant, which features a greenhouse-to-table menu with the “freshest” salad in Alaska. Many of the vegetables used are grown in the resort’s geothermal greenhouses, which stay warm year-round thanks to the natural heat from the earth. The restaurant also includes Alaska Grown produce from Fairbanks and other regions of Alaska on the menu.

Overnight Stays

While a day trip is certainly a treat, staying overnight at Chena Hot Springs allows for a deeper level of relaxation. The resort offers a range of accommodations, including lodges, cabins, yurts, family suites, a campground, and an RV park, perfect for those looking for a peaceful retreat after a day of exploration and rejuvenation.

Staying overnight allows you to soak in the hot springs under the stars, as they remain open until nearly midnight and maintain a soothing average temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit. This extended access lets you enjoy the magical experience of relaxing in the warm waters while taking in the beauty of the night sky, creating a serene and unforgettable atmosphere.

Chena Hot Springs Resort is more than just a place to relax, it’s a sanctuary for those seeking to reconnect with nature and recharge. Whether you visit for a few hours or stay for several days, the resort offers a wide range of activities and experiences that nourish both body and soul.