A Quick Visit To Chena Hot Springs

Chena Hot Springs Resort is located approximately 60 miles from Fairbanks in Alaska’s interior region. It is in a remote location which makes a complete Alaskan immersion vacation possible. Since I made my trip to Chena Hot Springs in March to coincide with the aurora borealis forecasts, I had the opportunity to explore the winter activities of the resort. Chena Hot Springs Resort is a four seasons resort, however. If your interests include sled dog mushing, cross country skiing, snow machining or viewing the northern lights; March is a wonderful time of the year to visit! With daylight lasting nearly 12 hours, it is possible to take in a lot during your stay. In the summer, there are opportunities to fish, hike, cycle, and boat at the resort. Whatever your interests are, you can come to this resort and never have the need to leave.

Perhaps the most popular reason that folks come from all around the world to Chena Hot Springs Resort are the hot springs rock lake and swimming pool. The hot springs were discovered back in the late 1800s by prospectors who continued to return to help with their arthritis and other ailments. As cabins began to spring up in the area, Chena Hot Springs Resort was established. The accommodations that are available at Chena Hot Springs Resort today run the full spectrum from nice hotel suites to rustic primitive camping.

I had a room on the second floor of the newer Moose Lodge building. It was spacious, nicely decorated and had a wonderful view! The bathroom was fully equipped to include a wall mounted hair dryer which was a much needed accessory for a trip to the frozen tundra of Alaska. I had a full bath with a shower over the tub.

In the registration lodge there is a gift shop where you can find many local crafts and wearing apparel to commemorate your visit. There is also a full service bar and restaurant here to keep you out of the kitchen during your stay. I really enjoyed the warmth and hospitality experienced in the restaurant which had wonderful fireplaces in both dining areas.

Quick Tips:

When you plan your visit to Chena Hot Springs Resort, you would be well served to have a pretty good idea of what you want to do while there. The resort has a high occupancy from tour groups which at times will make it feel as though the resort is busting at the seams. Most activities will require that you sign up in advance, so don’t run the risk of getting shut out by delaying your registration.

I would suggest you take in something that you may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience. Sled dog mushing or cross country skiing may be something of interest. They have a mushing school for those who wish to drive their own dog team... or you can opt for the more relaxing dog sled ride, where you sit and relax in the comfort of the sled with native fur blankets to keep you warm.

If you are visiting during the winter, you owe it to yourself to take the Aurora Viewing Tour via their snow coach. While you may be able to see the northern lights from the airstrip or their Aurorium, the view from high atop the summit is remarkable. I did the snowcoach trip during my one night stay and compared photos with someone who was shooting down on the airstrip. There was really no comparison as to the quality of the aurora lights as photographed from the two vantage points.

If you want to keep your packing to a minimum, you can rent cold weather gear (outwear and boots) from their activities center. Several in our aurora viewing group did this and were very happy with the warmth provided by the parkas and bunny boots.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving to Chena Hot Springs is really a very nice trip, as you meander through the Chena Recreation Area. Drive with caution, however, as there are a lot of moose on Chena Hot Springs Road. During the winter, the Chena River was frozen over and used as a pathway for snow machines and dog sleds. I saw several groups out navigating the frozen river during my drive through the park.

As I previously mentioned, they do have several ways to get around on the resort property via snow machines, bikes and skis. Frankly, cars would be of little use in that regard as there are no roads or drivable paths for autos on the resort property. If you are planning to stay more than a couple of days at Chena Hot Springs Resort, it would probably be more economical for you to take advantage of their pick-up service from Fairbanks. Once you are at the resort, you will really have no need for a car, unless of course you want to go to town for some reason. I would suggest you leave the driving to them... and just enjoy your time in this rustic and remote area.

Everything on property is rather compact and reached easily by foot. You will want to make sure that you have appropriate footwear, however, so as to avoid cold and/or wet feet.

It bears noting that Chena Hot Springs Resort does make their facilities available to those who are not staying at the resort. They provide pick-up and drop-off service for those who wish to come experience Chena Hot Springs Resort as a daytrip. There are several seasonal packages available. Additional information can be found on their website: www.chenahotsprings.com.

Chena Hot Springs Resort really caters to the aurora viewing tourist trade. I recall seeing a television show that featured the snowcoaches used by the resort to transport guests up a steep 2.5 mile hillside to a viewing area at the summit. As I watched that day, I thought “Now there is something I must see and experience in my lifetime.” With my trip to Fairbanks planned around the University of Alaska – Fairbanks Geophysical Institute’s aurora forecast, I was committed to making the side trip to Chena Hot Springs to view the northern lights.

This tour is available to guests and non-guests alike. The price is $75 per person for the four hour experience. Folks gather at the resort’s activities center at 10pm for the half-hour trip up to the viewing area and heated yurt. The yurt is a tent-like structure that had two gas space heaters with a number of chairs and a couple of gas type lanterns for light. In the middle of the area is a large serving table with hot water for tea, coffee and hot chocolate. There is also an outhouse available should you have the need.

Our group was very small, just five in total. I thought that was the perfect number of people as it allowed us all plenty of space out on the snow-covered hilltop when the aurora became active. Some in our group were up there just to watch and experience the aurora while another woman and I were there to photograph as much as we could. I should point out that in attempting to take photos of the aurora, you cannot use standard point and shoot type cameras, nor can you use the flash. Photographing the aurora requires an SLR type camera (digital or film) with a wide angle, fast lens and the capability to manually control the exposure time. Before my trip to Alaska, I spent weeks reading and learning how to photograph the aurora so that I would be able to capture the experience to share with others. I was blessed that I had a wonderful time and great northern lights to shoot. On my night at Chena Hot Springs, the aurora was very active and colors vivid!

Between the solar sub-storms, it was possible to slip into the yurt to warm up. That was a real bonus since it was approximately -25° F with winds gusting to probably 20-30 MPH. It was very, very cold! I think the longest stretch of time spent out viewing and photographing the aurora was probably around 45 minutes.

Our time was over at 2am, so we loaded back into the snowcoach to head back down the hill to the resort. Everyone was pretty wiped out... I think some even slept despite the loud noise made by the vehicles snow treads. Once back to the resort, we could still see the aurora dancing over the hills surrounding the airstrip. As much as I would have liked to stay out and take more photos, I was tired and still cold to the bone so I opted for sleep instead.

If you are not interested in a committed four hour timeframe, or paying to view the aurora from the hilltop, you can go out onto the resort’s airstrip to view and photograph the light show. The resort also has an “aurorium” which is a building with glass window front from which you can observe the aurora. There is no charge to utilize the aurorium to consider that an option too.

If you go to Fairbanks or the Interior Region of Alaska to see the aurora borealis, I would encourage you to plan at least one evening out at Chena Hot Springs Resort to enjoy and photograph what is truly a remarkable experience!

Chena Hot Springs Resort has a very nice kennel facility where guest can visit to see sled dogs, young and old. There are some 100 dogs housed here, including around 70 that belong to the resort. The rest are owned by the musher who provides lessons on dog sledding at the resort. It was also fun to see the young puppies, ranging in age from three days to three months. The three month old puppies were housed in an outdoor pen, while the very young litters were inside with their momma dogs.

Here at Chena Hot Springs Resort, winter guests have a number of outdoor options including taking a sled dog ride, with someone else driving the sled... or they can mush the two-mile trail on their own. Mushing lessons are available, which I was lucky to observe during my visit out to the kennel facilities. On the first run through the course, the trainer is on the lead sled, with the student being pulled behind in another. This allows the guest to learn how to control the speed of the sled while keeping the leads tight throughout the course. After successful completion of the first circuit of the course, the student is place in the front sled and the trainer is in the read sled. Once the student is comfortable and successful in making the loop, the back sled can be removed and the student mushes without the benefit of the trainer onboard.

I enjoyed watching a man and his daughter taking turns with their lessons. The dogs seemed to really enjoy their run and were always ready to go again for the next lap. When they returned after each trip out, the dogs would roll around on their backs and eat snow to quench their thirst. It was funny to watch the other dogs bark every time the sled pulled out, as though to say “take me too!”

The young man working the kennel told me that the mushing lesson experience is a full day adventure. He said that he often was the one who took folks out on the dog sled ride, but that the trainer was a professional sled dog racer who had a lot of experience in racing and teaching. He mentioned that the trainer had just recently competed in the Yukon Quest, one of the more famous sled dog races in Alaska.

While there was nobody taking the dog sled ride during my visit, the sled was out on the yard because they had been some folks out earlier in the morning on a dog pulled sled. The sled used for this type of experience is larger and has a nice cushion like bench for the riders to sit. They are also given moose hyde blankets to cover up with in order to keep warm during their ride.

If you are spending time in Alaska during the winter, I strongly encourage you to take a sled dog ride or mush a team yourself. I did it at another kennel outside of Fairbanks earlier in my week, so I didn’t do it here at Chena Hot Springs Resort. If you happen to be at Chena Hot Springs Resort during a time of the year that does not have snow, you can still enjoy the thrill of a dog sled ride in a “cart” pulled by dogs.

The art of ice sculpting is synonymous with Alaska and particularly Fairbanks. During my visit to Chena Hot Springs Resort I took the hour long tour of their Aurora Ice Museum which features the work of award winning artist Steve Brice.

As you enter the museum, the first thing that you will probably notice is that they must keep it very cold inside to assure that the quality of the exhibits are not damaged by warm air. They keep it at approximately 20° F and while that may feel balmy when compared to the outside temperatures that are consistently below zero, you will want to be sure to be warmly dressed. I found it very interesting as I looked at the construction of the building itself, as from the inside it looked like it was one big Styrofoam cooler, lined with the white thermal protection.

The first display inside is the workshop which has several of their signature martini glasses as works in progress. Take a look at the photo attached to this review to see the tools of an ice carver... chisels, electric drills and hammers. You can also see in the photo a block of the ice that is used to create the wonderful pieces of art.

Walking into the central area of the museum, the beautiful pulsating colors are vivid and are designed to replicate the aurora borealis in terms of the changing hues reflected in the ice. There are several themed exhibits including two jousting warriors, an oversized chess set, a chapel alter that has been used for wedding ceremonies, the Coca-Cola polar bear and the beautiful hanging chandeliers are just a few of the ice sculptures you will see. The main focal point in the room, however, is the real bar that is fully made of ice to include the bar stools and sitting area around several bar tables. The tops of the stools had a fur covering to prevent your butt from sticking to the cold ice. It is here where visitors can purchase a martini served in an ice martini glass. Because I was here in the middle of the afternoon and was in a very small group of just two, I took a pass on the experience.

At the back end of the large room was the “Ice Hotel” where guests can spend the night sleeping on a bed of ice in reindeer fur sleeping bags. It was very interesting, but I personally cannot imagine sleeping in a room of ice where the temperature remains at a constant 20° F. My favorite of the four rooms was the one with the four-poster bear bed with a lovely Christmas tree providing special ambience.

If you are interested in doing this tour, you will need to sign up at the resort’s activity center. The price is $15 and does not include the martini. Tours are scheduled at specific times throughout the day, so you will need to know what time you wish to visit and make sure you arrive at the Aurora Ice Museum on time. Once the group enters the building, the main doors are closed and additional people are not permitted to enter.

For those who want to learn to create art from ice, you can sign up for a three day ice carving class given by the artist himself. At a pricey $1,800 per person, lodging at the Chena Hot Springs Resort is included.

Chena Hot Springs Resort was developed around the hot springs that were discovered in the late 1800s. In fact, the resort celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2005! It is said that prospectors came from miles around to soak in the hot mineral springs found here. With the air temperature hovering around -10° F during the day, the steam could be seen rising from the Hot Springs Rock Lake, creating ice formations all along the edge on the rocks that border the lake.

When you arrive at the swimming area, you will enter a bathhouse type changing room. Lockers are available for a quarter so that you can protect your clothing and other belongings. There are also bathrooms and showers here. If you choose to swim inside, there is a swimming pool that is fed from the hot springs. The water temperature is maintained at just over 90° F and is chlorinated.

Outside, you will find the centerpiece of the Chena Hot Springs Resort... the Hot Springs Rock Lake! With a zero entry walk-in ramp, entry and exit into the lake is very easy. The bottom of the lake has sandy base and many go into the lake barefoot to swim. The water level was just about chest high (approximately four feet deep)... and at 106° F it was very soothing. As the steam rises from the lake, the water condenses and caused icicles to form on your hair. Many went completely “under” the water so as to create an ice formed “helmet” because the water froze almost immediately. Possibly the worst part of a visit in the middle of winter is getting out of the warm bath water and having to hustle inside to the locker room area.

While there are two hot tubs here (one inside and another outside) they were unoccupied. I suppose when you are at a hot springs spa, there is no reason to soak in a hot tub.

The swimming pool and lake are open from 7am until midnight daily. There is no lifeguard outside so you will be swimming in the lake at your own risk. Additionally, children under the age of 18 are not permitted in the lake. Overnight resort guests have complimentary use of the swimming facilities on the day of arrival and the day of departure, as well as all days of their stay. Day guests can buy a pass for $10 per person per day at the pool reception building. While towels are provided free of charge to resort guests, those visiting for the day will be charged $5 for use of a towel during their stay. After you shower and are ready to get dressed, they do have hair dryers available so that you don’t have to go back outside with wet hair.

As I mentioned in the overview, Chena Hot Springs Resort is a year round resort with activities available for people of all interests and abilities. In addition to those which I’ve featured here in individual reviews, guests and visitors to Chena Hot Springs Resort can take in a massage in the massage cabin... take a flightseeing tour to the Arctic Circle... or enjoy a casual nature walk on the main trails throughout the 440 acres of the resort. All of these activities are available year round.

There are also a lot of seasonal activities based on the weather and outdoor conditions. During the winter, the resort also offers cross country skiing, snowmobile tours and horse drawn carriage rides. In the summer months, the opportunities are expanded to include more outdoor activities such as fishing, cycling, four-wheeler tours, canoeing and panning for gold at the Chicken Dredge gold mining site.

More information on all of the activities offered by Chena Hot Springs Resort may be obtained at their website: www.chenahotsprings.com. The website also includes package offerings and pricing for most activities.

If your ideal vacation includes nothing but R~n~R, you can do that too! This resort is perfectly situated from the hustle and bustle of the city, and features a very nice rustic atmosphere where guests can come to get away from it all and recharge their battery. It is possible to completely immerse yourself in an Alaskan lifestyle that is in balance with nature, intended to create a new appreciation for a more modest existence. Of course, if pampering is your style, you can have that too at Chena Hot Springs Resort!

I cannot express how much I enjoyed the dining area of the restaurant. It was warm and cozy, with a large fireplace providing additional warmth to the room. Service was outstanding, and the meals superb. While standing in line waiting to be seated, I got into a conversation with two people staying at the resort as part of a tour group in from Fairbanks. They invited me to join them for dinner... what a nice gesture!

Our server was Vladimir, who was very attentive to our needs and was patient given the fact that we were gabbing more than we were thinking about supper. Once we ordered, our salads or soup came out almost immediately. I had the homemade vegetable soup which was very robust with large chucks of meat and veggies. It had a bit of a bite to it, although I couldn’t place what the spice was providing the kick. Warm homemade bread was also served with our soup/salads.

I had the rib-eye steak and they had the Wild Alaskan Salmon. My steak was very flavorful and they fully enjoyed their salmon. Each entrée was also accompanied by a generous portion of mixed vegetables and a starch dish. While prices for dinner were a bit more than what I am accustomed to paying here, I found them to be about the same as any other restaurant in Fairbanks.

The next morning I went down for breakfast around 9:30am, expecting to have a wait for a table given that a large group arrived the night before. Much to my surprise, I was seated immediately in the lounge portion of the restaurant. It was very nice, with a wonderful view of the fireplace. Much of the motif here was centered on sled dogs and the Yukon Quest. Overhead was what appeared to be an old antique sled, maybe used by natives to get around before the day of snow machines.

For breakfast I had just simple scrambled eggs with bacon. Rather difficult to mess that up, I suppose, but I should say it was really very good. Served hot with a side of potatoes and toast, it was a very filling meal. The breakfast menu also featured pancakes, French toast and omelets. Guests also had a choice of breakfast meets that included sausage and ham.

I have to say, I really enjoyed my time in the restaurant during those two meals. It was comfortable, relaxing and warm. The staff were friendly and very focused on providing service to their dining patrons. The restaurant was open and serving food continuously from 7am until 10pm. It should be noted that from what I could tell in the “resort services guide” in my hotel room, they do not offer room service so you will have to get dressed and go out of your room for meals. The walk is short (less than five minutes), however, so do not let that prevent you from enjoying this wonderful dining experience.