Any info on Chena Hot Springs? We%26#39;re a group of 4 (so far) doing a cruise/landtour with Princess in June 2007. We%26#39;ll be in Fairbanks for 2 days at the end of the tour and I would like to extend our trip for another day or two. Also thinking about an Artic Circle trip??
Chena hot springsIf you search posts here on Chena Hot Springs you can find lots of information. Are you thinking about Chena Hot Spring Resort? You want to go there for a day or stay overnight? I%26#39;m not clear but what is your question about Arctic Circle?
Chena hot springsWe will probably only have one extra day in Fairbanks and I%26#39;m trying to decide what would be more fun/interesting, going to Chena Hot Springs (driving rental?) or a fly/drive tour to Artic circle. Are there trails around the hot springs to walk and would you have time to do that on a day trip?
I spent several days in Fairbanks last Augus and went to both areas. My choice would be the Arctic Fly/Drive. We drove 260 north from Fairbanks to Coldfoot, seeing the pipeline, Yukon River, Circle crossing ceremony and nature/visitor center in Coldfoot. Our driver was very knowledgable about our trip and had lots of stories and history to tell.
The drive to Chena Hot Springs was nice-saw lots of moose-but I was not too impressed with the resort. Yes, there is a hot springs to sit in but you can do that in the lower 48. It probably would be a better place to go in the winter when you can see the northern lights.
The hot springs does have quite a trail network behind it, nice for walking...but it depends, if it rains at all before you go walking than you will be walking in some places with mud up to your knees...it%26#39;s nice if you go on a dry day though. If you can only do one of the 2 activities you mentioned than I would recommend the Artic Circle fly/drive over Chena. Chena is nothing oh so spectacular (u can find hot springs and walking trails all over the place in lower 48) but there is no where in the lower 48 that you can cross the artic circle and experience what%26#39;s there to do (duh)...so that%26#39;s my recommendation.
Chena Hot Springs is a neat place. It%26#39;s about 50-60 miles from Fairbanks. The whole area is not real big but there is a lodge, cabins and restaurant. The hot spring pool is a great place to take a dip in winter. You can rent bicycles or hike. If you%26#39;re going to be there in winter it%26#39;s a great place to view the Northern Lights!
In August we did a day trip to Chena Hot Springs and an Arctic Circle fly/drive day trip. Both originating from Fairbanks. Our car rental was $52.00/day with unlimited mileage. If you enjoy seeing many moose I would encourage a similar day trip to Chena. That was a great treat. But after driving around the Chena Hot Springs Resort I wouldn%26#39;t recommend staying there. It didn%26#39;t look like it could compare to the many nice bed and breakfasts in Fairbanks. The trip to the Arctic Circle is something that I wish everyone could do once. If you look at a globe you get a better perspective of where you are going to be traveling. I also believe it gives you a better idea of the issues surrounding the pipeline. I would do both as day trips from Fairbanks.
Chena Hot Springs is a fine place to visit. I am surpised tosee so many outsiders trash it; I wasn%26#39;t aware of comparable hot spings in the lower 48, but given the greater population density I would expect finer facilities Outside Alaska. However, this is a great place to visit, it is at the end of a very scenic 60 mile drive from Fairbanks, and if you decide not to stay at the springs, there are facilities at Angel Creek just a few miles before the springs.
If hiking is your thing, there are trails at the springs and several well developed trails along the highway leading to the springs. Certainly the y were not nasty or soggy when I hiked them.
You have the chance to see a bit of Alaska, and the Hot SPrings is today 100% operating on alternate energy, using most everything you can think of to generate their power, heat and even cool their ';Ice Palace'; that you can visit in the summer. Check out their web page and give it serious consideration.
As for the Arctic CIrcle, in addition to the drive (I have made twice) you have the option of a tour-flight to Fort Yukon, an Athabaskan Indian village on the banks of the Yukon River, about 6 miles north of the Arctic Circle. I lived and worked there one summer and can recommend it as a very intersting place to live. So you could get the Arctic Circle, the Yukon RIver and an Indian VIllage (and possibly one of our remote defense Radar Sites) all at one time. There is not much of the radar site left, just a few old buildings and the current radar dome where earlier hundreds of airmen worked to keep our country safe. What a change technology has brought in a few decades!
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I want to know does stay at Chena hot springs resort include the breakfast in the loudging package?
Thank you very much!
cssuen,
They have a web page at http://www.chenahotsprings.com/guest.html
where you can explore for answers and options. I would recommend getting in direct contact with them, by email if nothing else. Perhaps they will strike a deal if you are looking for something specific. I do recommend a day at the Hot Springs!
krish2, depending upon your desires, budget and tastes, you can choose between flying to Fort Yukon, an Indian village on the banks of the Yukon River six miles north of the Arctic Circle, driving the road yourself, taking a driven tour, or take a leisurely day trip to the Hot Springs. There are many riverside pull outs and hiking areas on the way to the Hot Springs, and there is Angel Creek Lodge just down the road from the Hot Springs as a good alternative for overnighting. They don%26#39;t seem to advertise much, but they are well known and respected locally and have regularly volunteered as a stop on the Yukon Quest Dog Race.
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