Chena Hot Springs
Chena Hot Springs is a resort in the Chena River valley, northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, where geothermal water rises naturally from underground. The property has rustic log cabins and hotel rooms, a large covered pool, open-air soaking areas, and trails used for both summer hiking and winter activities.
Indigenous people used these waters for healing long before outside settlers arrived in the region. In the early 20th century, gold miners passing through the area found the springs and gradually developed the site into a resting place for travelers.
The name Chena comes from the Indigenous people who originally lived in this area. Visitors from far away and locals from Fairbanks often share the pools together, making it a place where very different people end up in the same warm water.
The resort sits about an hour from Fairbanks along a well-maintained road that follows the Chena River through forested land. It is open year-round, and winter nights spent soaking outdoors offer a good chance of seeing the northern lights overhead.
The resort generates much of its own power using a geothermal energy system that taps directly into the same underground heat source as the pools. On the grounds, there is also a museum carved entirely from ice that stays frozen throughout the year, even during the warm summer months.
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