Stay near Fairbanks
Use Chena Hot Springs Resort as the trip anchor, then compare hotels or nearby town bases close enough for the soak, dinner, and the drive home.
About Alaska hot springs
Alaska has many hot springs but very few are accessible. Most require flying, boating, or backcountry travel. Chena Hot Springs Resort is the exception: the only major Alaska hot springs accessible by road, at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road, 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks.
Chena's signature feature is Rock Lake, an outdoor natural-geothermal mineral lake kept at roughly 106 F and reserved for guests 18 and over. The visual signature of Chena is winter Rock Lake: steam rising off the natural lake against snow-covered black spruce, with the aurora borealis moving overhead from late September through late March. This image sells nearly every Alaska aurora trip.
The resort also operates the Aurora Ice Museum, the largest year-round ice environment in the world (constructed 2005, kept at 25 F by a patented absorption chiller). The interior is decorated with crystalline ice sculptures. Tours are separately priced from the pools. The resort is also a working geothermal research site, using geothermal heat to generate electricity and to grow vegetables in heated greenhouses through the Alaska winter.
The Alaska hot springs we recommend first
Aurora-and-soak
Chena Hot Springs Resort
Only road-accessible major Alaska hot springs. Rock Lake natural-geothermal mineral lake + Aurora Ice Museum + aurora season Sept to Mar.
All Alaska hot springs in this guide
By region
Interior Alaska
Chena Hot Springs Resort 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks on Chena Hot Springs Road.
When to visit
Chena operates year-round. The aurora-viewing season runs September through late March, with peak February to March. Summer (May to August) is the easy-driving season but Alaska summer nights are too bright for aurora viewing; visit summer for the springs and the long days, visit winter for the aurora and the snow-and-steam Rock Lake imagery.
Where to stay for Alaska hot springs
Start with the soak, then choose the town base that keeps the drive, dinner, and pool access simple. These links point to practical hotel searches near the main trip anchors.
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Questions visitors ask about Alaska hot springs
Can you really see the aurora at Chena Hot Springs?
Yes. Chena sits at 65 degrees north latitude inside the aurora oval, far enough north for regular aurora activity during the September-to-March season. Peak aurora season is February and March. The resort runs aurora tours, but Rock Lake itself (the outdoor mineral pool) is an aurora-viewing site: visitors soak in steam while watching the aurora overhead. This is the canonical Alaska hot springs experience.
Is Chena Hot Springs water natural?
Rock Lake (the outdoor adults-only mineral lake) is natural geothermal water without chemical treatment. The indoor family swimming pool and indoor hot tubs are chlorinated for hygiene. Visitors expecting all-natural water should know that only Rock Lake is the natural product.
How do you get to Chena Hot Springs?
Chena is at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road, 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks. The drive is straightforward in summer (paved highway, 90 minutes) but more challenging in winter (snow, ice, dark by 3 PM in December). Many visitors fly into Fairbanks and rent a vehicle. The resort also runs shuttle service from Fairbanks for guests who do not want to drive.
What is the Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs?
It is the largest year-round ice environment in the world, constructed in 2005 using a patented absorption chiller that uses geothermal heat (counterintuitively) to power the cooling. The interior is kept at 25 F and is decorated with crystalline ice sculptures crafted by world-champion ice carvers, lit by colored chandeliers that recall the aurora. Tours are separately priced from the pools and operate year-round.
Are there other hot springs in Alaska?
Yes, many, but most are not road-accessible. Manley Hot Springs (tiny remote village 4 hours west of Fairbanks), Tolovana Hot Springs (backcountry, ski or snowmobile access only), Pilgrim Hot Springs (north of Nome), and a handful of smaller sites. Chena is the only major road-accessible commercial hot springs operation in the state, which is why it dominates Alaska hot springs search volume.
Is Chena Hot Springs Resort family-friendly?
Mixed. Rock Lake (the marquee outdoor mineral lake) is 18-and-over only. The indoor family pool and indoor hot tubs are open to all ages. The Aurora Ice Museum tours are family-friendly. Families with children can stay at the resort and use the indoor pools, but the iconic Rock Lake winter-aurora experience is adult-only.