chena river recreation area

Whether you walk the top of the flood control, see the dam, swim the lake or fish the river there is always something great to do here. It is also nice and dark for viewing and photographing the Aurora.

Ok my words of advise are... Do not go to Chena expecting to see Aurora as you soak in the hot waters. Aurora is tricky and even on a clear night from September to April you may not see anything before 11 pm if at all. The key to understanding your chances of seeing Aurora in AK is that you have to understand it's never predictable. There are websites that give Aurora activity predictions but even that is not a guarantee. Let me finally emphasize that on a foggy or cloudy night your chances are even less.Now that I've cleared that up, I can tell you that a trip to Chena hot springs is pretty much a must if you are staying in or around Fairbanks.The warm sulphur waters relax tired muscles and smooth that dry winter skin. The Chena experience is quite comparable to dipping in natural hot springs in Iceland and of course if you are lucky you may get a light show overhead while you soak under the night sky.My lady and I were some of the lucky ones and we got an amazing Aurora show on a freezing cold January night around 9:30 pm ! (Quite early to see Aurora)I'm not an Aurora or Alaska expert (yet) but I've spent much time in Northern regions around the world and I can say that patience is key when looking for the majestic Northern Lights. I have learned quite a bit about being patient with them.Keep in mind that Chena hot springs is a resort with with full service facilities (including a restaurant and bar) so you can book a minimum of three nights and increase your chances of having that once in a lifetime Alaska experience.

Chena Hot springs was amazing, totally recommended. The water is really hot and natural and the ice museum is cool. The restaurant has good food

The hot springs were great even if you aren't prepared with a bathing suit you can rent one and they have lockers. The hot spring area is large and has a ramp going in. I went during the winter when it was really cold and the challenge was to run from the locker into the ramp into the hot water as fast as we can to not feel the subzero temp! It was nice sitting and being in the spring until night fall looking at the stars. Your hair will freeze and there would be snow around you but your body is hot ! They also offer a tour of the ice museum and a small restaurant and also a display on their geothermal heat. Even the ride to the place on the highway was gorgeous. So worth going to the chena hot springs !

Expect a beautiful location in a valley surrounded by mountains. No wifi, no phone signal, just nature and delicious natural spring water

The hot tub is wonderful. Temperatures around zero, steam coming up off the tub and freezing to the fence enclosing the hot tub. And making the mad dash to the tub from the building. I had hoped to see the northern lights but they didn't come out an play the night I was there.

Stopped here on the way back from hot springs and had a great time there.Enjoyed the chance to have a good walk around and ended up seeing a pair of beavers building a dam in a small creek

This is a wonderful place to spend your holiday vacation. The hotspring is very impressive. It was enclosed by natural environment and the long hall way leading to the pool "in legend" was renovated so that you needn't to worry about running in freezing coldness anymore. Dog sled, snowmobile, ice museum are all good. They also offer aurora wake up service and aurora dog sled tour, which is wonderful. It is convenient to stay there for all the activities but the accommodation doesn't worth the price you pay. Within the super tiny bathroom with a micro-room, you can barely do anything except sleep. The worst is that there is no wifi nor cell phone signal. Basically if you get there, you isolated from outside; if you loose your partners, it takes forever to find them.

My favorite place/activity during my Fairbanks visit. The hot-springs experience was quite enjoyable! Also, the resort area was a great place to view the northern lights!

Interesting to find a peaceful slice of nature running right through the middle of a downtown like this.

nice family atmosphere. clean, fun, relaxing. the scenery from the out side large natural pool area is amazing. the sun rise coming over the hill is pretty. late night the northern lights are beautiful.

My family and I had a great time. The Ice Museum is really amazing. The sculptures are just incredible. The restaurant was fair.You can't beat the scenery.I also recommend Denali National Park and the riverboat cruise on the Chena river.

Get gas before you go! It's a long ride in one direction and almost no chance to get gas once you arrive in Chena!

If you can spare the better part of a day during your stay in Fairbanks, this park is an easy drive and rewards you with great opportunities for hiking and getting out into the wild. We did the 3-hour Angel Rock trail and it took us up 900 feet to a promontory offering a fantastic view. Grab a picnic lunch on the way out of town. FYI there is a nominal charge for parking at the trailheads.

We drove to Chena Hot Springs and stopped at one of the stops along the way. Very picturesque! It is so beautiful around that area. The outside toilets are very well taken care of.