Northern lights
Soak at Chena Hot Springs
Outdoor hot springs an hour from Fairbanks, with a real chance of aurora in winter.
- Season
- Year-round
- Where
- Chena Hot Springs, near Fairbanks
- Level
- Easy
What it is
Chena is the soak people add to a Fairbanks trip. The pools are outside, the air in January is not, and that contrast is the point. The Aurora Ice Museum is on the same property. In summer it is a hot-springs day without the lights. In winter it is one of the easier ways to be outside at night and still warm.
Before you go
Bring a towel plan and a dry change of clothes. The drive is straightforward and dark in winter.
Plan this
These are direct links to public guides, rules, and operators. A tour search is separate. It is marked Sponsored only after a real partner id is added.
- Chena Hot Springsoperator
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More in Northern lights
- See the northern lights
Fairbanks is the practical base. Dark skies run from late August into April.
- Sleep under a clear roof
A lodge or dome north of Fairbanks built so you can watch the sky from bed.