Chena Hot Springs, discovered in 1905, is about 60 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska.

Chena Hot Springs Resort

The resort at the hot springs has so much to offer guests.   After leaving Fairbanks, we decided to spend a couple days here.   The main attraction for us was sitting in the hot water.

Entrance to hot springs pool and hot springs rock lake

This is the entrance to the hot springs indoor pool.   In the pool area you can access hot tubs.   If you forgot, swimming suits and pool sandals are for sale at reasonable prices.   Also, follow the enclosed walkway to an outdoor hot tub and to our favorite, the rock lake.

Hot Springs Rock Lake

The water in the rock lake varies from about 103 degrees to 106 degrees.   Move around the lake and you will find your perfect temperature.   We loved sitting in the lake.   We saw a couple reindeer on the surrounding mountain side.   There are other activities for guests.   You can join an ATV tour.

ATV tours here

ATVs are fun.  Younger humans enjoy this playground.

Playground for small humans

And this tower of antlers is so Alaskan.

Antlers

We enjoy seeing things that are not in our yard in Colorado.   It is difficult and expensive to find good fresh vegetables here most of the year.

Greenhouse. Fresh salads were delicious

So the resort uses this greenhouse and garden to grow most of their own vegetables.   Our fresh salads were delicious.   Near the greenhouse the ducks enjoy a small pond.

Ducks by pond and greenhouse

We love seeing our feathered relatives when we travel.  There are many trails to hike, a location for gold panning, two souvenir shops, a snack shop and a restaurant.

Creek through resort

We enjoyed this creek passing through our resort.   Guests can stay in the main lodge, in multi room cabins, or yurts.   Camping sites are also available.   We stayed in a cabin.

Our cabin. Number 98

We were cabin 98.   Soapy, Chloe and their mom stayed in a front room.   Mom and I stayed in a rear room.   We liked the yurts.

Yurt with really tall trees

Aren’t these trees tall?  From our cabin window we could see a wild, wooded area.

Pretty pond

The path through the area took us to this small lake.   Also a few reindeer, or caribou, lived here.

Reindeer or caribou at Chena Hot Springs resort

This is a protected area for the wildlife.   In May it was still rather chilly.

Stilll partially frozen in May

This lake had not thawed yet.   We liked the snow and ice on part of the lake.   But, it was spring in the far north and although the ice and snow were not all gone, there were many hours of daylight.   Sunrise was 4:43 a.m. and sunset was 10:54 p.m.   Even after midnight, there was not total darkness.   One night we stayed in the hot springs rock lake until after 10:00 pm and it was very light.   It is a little difficult to adjust to so many hours of daylight in the summer.  At the lightest, in late June, sunrise is 2:53 a.m. and sunset at 12:37 p.m.   It never gets really dark.   But, remember in the December they have many hours of darkness.   In several areas of the resort there are benches for guests to sit and enjoy the scenery.

Carved bench

Some of these benches are very ornate.  We love the carved wooden benches.   In the winter, this is a great area to view the Aurora, or the Northern Lights.   Also fun to ride on a dog sled through the snow and wooded areas.  Chena Hot Springs is a great year round resort.