Here is a package deal of relaxing, serene, and most magical times of your lives. How many times have we wondered, looking at dramas and movies, about watching the northern lights being just a few miles away from the Arctic Circle?
From massage therapy, a hot tub, and a tranquilizing day trip to eye-catching and heart-clenching activities like natural hot springs, horseback riding, dog-sledding, and even an incredible ice museum. All under one location called Chena Hot Springs Resort. The ideal holiday spot of Fairbanks, Alaska. Its closeness to the Arctic Circle makes this location more compelling for tourists to visit and one of the top attractions of Alaska.
The chief attraction of Chena Hot Springs Resort is its name itself. Chena Hot Springs. Natural hot springs packed with minerals that make your skin glow springs heated through geothermal-powered facilities with chlorinated water to get rid of the bacteria, making you feel amazing throughout.
Not only do springs have an overlaying benefit to detoxing your skin, but they also have an added advantage of curing body aches and irritations, further healing you both physically and mentally. It is said to be relaxing since it relieves stress levels and puts our body into a state of ataraxy and peace of mind.
Chena Hot Springs Resort, Alaska, has many fascinating amenities out there for you to engulf yourself in. So, grab a pen and paper, and scroll down to know further from the list of everything you need to know about.
About Chena Hot Springs – Alaska’s Best Hot Spring.
1. How to Get to Chena Hot Springs Resort, Alaska?
Three hours from Denali National Park, in Fairbanks, Alaska’s interior lies one of the most beautiful spots in North America. You can take a commute service which you will need to book at least 4 days prior to check availability.
A round-trip shuttle service at Fairbanks – a city in Alaska- and Fairbanks airport is available for a ride which comes along with a chargeable fee. This shuttle is provided by the Chena Hot Springs Resort themselves, called the Chena Shuttle. Since the destination is about 60 spectacular miles from Fairbanks, the resort offers a commute service.
Chena Hot Springs Resort is an autonomous faction located in remote areas. Using the commute service is any time advisable since guests have told of losing network to keep track of GPS.
If not the shuttles, you can travel from a car from Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs Resort with offline saved maps, which might take you a little more than an hour from Fairbanks. On the way, you will see several hotels for your stay. These hotels add to your options of lodging according to your budget plans in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska.
In Borough Fairbanks, Alaska, you will find yourself at the Chena Hot Springs Resort. Take a ride on the Steese Highway that will connect you to the junction of Chena Hot Springs Road. About 56 miles deeper into the valley, following the Chena Hot Springs Recreational Area.
2. About Chena Hot Springs Resort
Flourished in Alaska’s interior, Chena Hot Springs Resort is famously attributed for its amenity to natural hot springs that are kept alive and healthy through geothermal-powered facilities.
They are also popular in tons for their great aurora viewing, an awesome ice museum, and the best relaxing time that comes along. Under the aurora borealis, you can bathe in natural hot springs, along with friends, family, partners, or anybody you’d like to come over with.
Their facilities also include a private bathroom with baths and blow dryers, delicious food, the site restaurant, and an absolutely free parking facility. Guests will find a very helpful front desk with said amazing customer service.
Guests from various parts of America, like New York, Chicago, and Washington, visit Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, because of its well-grown celebrity reputation.
The resort’s rooms are cleaned and sanitized regularly for a pleasant stay for the guests. Food served at the on-site restaurant of this resort is loved by tourists, and the indoor pool available here is well-enjoyed.
3. Booking for Chena Hot Springs Resort
The booking of Chena Hot Springs can be made online very conveniently. Using any trusted travel app, tourists can find the page of this resort and then the option of booking their stay.
Before the booking, travellers have advised to check the availability of dates and accordingly plan their check-in and check-out dates. Children under the age of 6 have the privilege of a free stay.
The front desk is said to be available always. The check-in time is from 4 pm, and the check-out time is till 11 am. Guests booking their check-in date and check-out date beyond the frontiers of the check-in and check-out times might be charged an added fee.
It is recommended to plan your check-in date and check-out date within the time slots of the Chena Hot Springs Resort’s check-in and check-out times to avoid that extra fee.
4. Amenities of the Chena Hot Springs Resort
They are known to provide amazing customer service; it is because of their pronounced amenities, which include,
- Free wi-fi,
- On-site restaurant with complimentary breakfast,
- Spectacular aurora ice museum,
- Wheel-chair accessibility,
- Air-conditioned clean lodging room,
- Indoor pool within a pool house,
- Massage Therapy,
- Trails End Lounge,
- Free parking,
- Facilities of a hot tub,
- A round shuttle service for an additional fee,
- Cool, relaxing, remote location in the embrace of nature,
- Amazing atmosphere of Alaska and commendable service, etc.
5. Activities of Recreation at the Chena Hot Springs Resort
First and foremost, beginning from the highlight of Chena Hot Springs Resort,
5.1. Chena Hot Springs : Experience the Natural Hot Springs
Among the best natural hot springs in America, Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, is a hot tourist destination. It is highly talked about among travellers because of the aurora borealis swaying over the hot springs, where one can relax and have an amazing time in natural waters watching the majestic northern lights.
Chena Hot Springs was established over a hundred years ago by the early founders of Alaska and gold miners. The weather here remains frosty, like the winter season, all year round since its proximity to the Arctic circle. But, because of the natural heating of the spring, it becomes balanced enough.
It is advised to bring your own towels along because here, a single towel is said to be quite expensive. Along with breakfast, an indoor pool to have a relaxing soak, a restaurant, amazing food, and a spacious area to park your vehicle, this relaxing location is the perfect place to let your tensions flow away right under the northern lights of Alaska.
Tourists have also been guided to bring along plenty of water to drink; keeping yourself hydrated when you are soaking in the natural hot springs is a very important point to consider.
The hot spring here has incredible minerals mixed in the heated natural waters, especially chlorine, that kick away bacteria, and other minerals detox your skin. The water is warmed up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature helps keep the body’s temperature safe within the embrace of the chilly weather of Fairbanks.
The current weather of Chena Hot Springs, Fairbanks, is quite glacial with light rain showers. Chena Hot Springs, unlike other natural hot springs, gives you the most magical memory of the northern lights. This spring is regularly unloaded, cleaned, replenished, and well taken care of.
Although the hot spring is surrounded by snow and has a winter-like atmosphere prevailing, the spring proves to be the best way to relax and decamp.
Take regular intervals to soak in the water. Soak in the hot spring for not more than fifteen minutes, as the minerals might irritate your skin, acting harshly together with the cold weather. It is not recommended to take a shower after stepping out of the spring since the added benefits of the water go in vain.
In the cold season, guests are directed to bring along warm clothing worn above the swimsuit and a durable pair of footwear. Flip-flops are not a preferable choice. Flip-flops do not provide a firm clasp to our feet while walking, which might lead to accidents.
Along with these facilities, Chena Hot Springs Resort has built packages on land set in adventure and fun. The best time instructed to have a view of the majestic northern lights of Alaska is between September to April. By the month of April, the chances of seeing the northern lights become sweepingly low. Guests have reviews written in the month of April saying it was an “awkward month” to visit Fairbanks. Hoping to see the northern lights while having a soak in the Chena Hot Springs.
5.2. Adventure at Chena Hot Springs Resort
The enjoyment does not end at the natural hot springs of Chena Hot Springs Resort. After enjoying the hot springs, here is a list of things to do at this resort,
5.2.1. Visit the Majestic Aurora Ice Museum
Another top attraction of the Chena Hot Springs Resort, for which they are well known, is their paradise-like ice museum. Aurora Ice Museum is an eloquent ice museum in Fairbanks, Alaska. Accessible all year round, this majestic art museum has artefacts that are sweet to the eye to explore. It is said to have the “world’s largest ice environment.”
Constructed in 2005, this ice museum is some of the most charming ice sculptures. Guests have said to have an amazing time going through the ice sculptures and admiring the talents of the ice sculptors of Alaska and all over the globe.
Along with aesthetic ice sculptures, the Aurora Ice Museum also has an ice bar. At the Ice bar, tourists can have a glass of beverage of their choice in glasses built of the glass itself!
Said to be one of the coolest places in Fairbanks, the Aurora Ice Museum and Chena Hot Springs Resort are just a minute’s ride away from each other. This is another main reason why Chena Hot Springs is so popular; it has proximity to the best-loved ice museum in Fairbanks.
After a mesmerizing time submerged in warm natural water under the northern lights, one can go tour artistic ice sculptures at the ornamental ice museum, completing an impeccable day trip to Chena Hot Springs.
If you’re fond of staying indoors, there is an indoor pool in the resort for you. Bringing a towel of your own is much more convenient because of the towel cost that the hotel charges you. Many guests have saved their costs by getting their own towel instead of asking for one that this resort.
5.2.2. The Ordeal of the Dog Mushing Venture
Dog mushing or dog sledding is another thrilling pursuit that the Chena Hot Springs Resort has to provide. Guests have said to have one of their best dog sled thrills and “just like the movies” experiences here at the Chena Hot Springs Resort.
One can begin their day trip with the sled dog rides and end with the great aurora viewing in Fairbanks, Alaska. These dog sled activities are open all year round since the icy weather seems implausible.
5.2.3. Have an Enchanting Photography Session
Click magnificent photos at Chena Hot Springs, as here you will find the beauty of snow and the majestic feeling of the wilderness of Alaska.
Tourists have taken the most beautiful and awe-inspiring photos at this location, as they were surrounded by snow. Snow is nature’s embedded jewel. All photos taken with snow or snowflakes are mesmerizing since the phenomena of snowing are spectacular in themselves.
Since the Chena Hot Springs Resort is in the neighborhood of the Arctic Circle, snow is in abundance.
Photos of the magnificent northern lights, ice museum’s ice sculptures, family photos, and adventure photos are all as exciting as they sound. Photos are a link to our memories, and Chena Hot Springs is here to offer you the best memories of Alaska for sure!
5.2.4. Engage in Tours of Chena Hot Springs
Guests are proposed with a variety of tours from the destination of Chena Hot Springs. Below are a few of the tours,
- Chena Hot Springs tours
- Northern Lights tours
- Sled Dog tours
- Horseback Riding
- Chena Kennel tours
- Aurora Ice Museum tours
- Geothermal Energy tours
- Snowmachine tours
- ATV Tours
6. Types of Rooms at the Chena Hot Springs Resort
There are various types of rooms you can pick that match the type of stay you’re looking for. Here are some of the rooms of Chena Hot Springs Resort,
- Fox rooms
- Bear family suites
- Cabins
- Yurts
- Camping and RVs
- Moose Lodge
7. Types of Packages for Stay at Chena Hot Springs
Loaded with merrymaking and fun amenities, here are some packages that you can choose while your stay at the Chena Hot Springs Resort,
7.1. Day Packages that consist of
- Day trip to Chena
- Northern Lights tour
- Sled Dog Day tour
7.2. Overnight Packages that consist of
- Aurora odyssey
- Romantic getaway
- Summer adventure
- Couples escape
- Best of Aurora
8. Banquet at the Chena Hot Springs
At the Chena Hot Springs Resort, you will be having the amenity of their own restaurant. This restaurant provides all three meals of the day- breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
In the historic Chena Hot Springs Resort Restaurant, you can sit alongside a fireplace and have an amazing dining time. Here, the vegetable used is grown organically in Chena Hot Springs Resort’s own greenhouse. This is also done to encourage Alaskan organic produce.
Then, they have the amenity of the Aurora Cafe. This cafe serves beverages, sandwiches, salads, and soups on a daily basis.
Here in Alaska, Chena Hot Springs is one of the only places with the best ways to see the great northern lights. Being proximate to the Arctic Circle is what aids the most in the great aurora borealis experience of Fairbanks.
Besides having great customer service, this resort is a pet-friendly hotel. If you are a dog-lover, here you will have the chance to meet some of the most lovely huskies of Alaska! This getaway is the top best way to pamper yourself with some noteworthy times you would earn in your lifetime.
The nights are way shorter than the days, because of which night-loving tourists love Chena Hot Springs Resort. The northern lights light up when the stars take over, overall making the entire sky gleam up to life.
So, what are you waiting for? A cool, relaxing, fun-added, and extraordinary getaway awaits you here at Chena Hot Springs Resort, Fairbanks, Alaska. Plan your enthralling journey today!
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Frying Pan Lake (renamed Waimangu Cauldron in 1963 though not widely used) is the world’s largest hot spring. It is located in the Echo Crater of the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley, New Zealand and its acidic water maintains a temperature of about 50 to 60 °C (122–140 °F).
- The average depth of the Hot Springs Lake varies from day to day around four feet depending on the activity of the springs.
Last Updated on June 14, 2023 by somya909
I have heard about hot springs but never got the chance to visit. I hope I can visit there someday and enjoy the hot water touching my body. Some hot springs are also believed to heal your injuries and I am all in for that.