My family of four, with two kids ages 3 and 6, visited Chena Hot Springs Resort in December on a trip to Alaska to see the Northern Lights. Only an hour’s drive outside of Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs is considered one of the top attractions in the area—yet has terrible reviews.
There are countless accounts online about mildew-filled rooms or disgruntled and unhelpful staff.
The reviews I read were so bad I almost didn’t want to risk taking my family there for an overnight stay, knowing that we would likely do so to avoid driving back to Fairbanks—and through the Alaskan winter—at night.
Despite negative reviews, my partner and I decided to try Chena Hot Springs Resort for just one night, recognizing that we could leave if it got that bad.
Thankfully, it didn’t!
Yes, the hotel rooms were outdated, but our stay was comfortable, the staff were kind and helpful, and the hot springs were a treat.
Check out our review and favorite activities at Chena Hot Springs:
Fairbanks, Alaska is located on the stolen lands of the Dene Athabascan peoples
Before you go
- Book a day visit or an overnight stay at the resort. All activities are available for visitors, whether they come up for the day spend the night. Book your stay here.
- Give yourself time to get there. Chena Hot Springs Resort is located 66 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. Parking is free. Consider booking a shuttle from Fairbanks for $180 round trip per person. The trip takes about an 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Pack warm gear. Weather temperatures can dip below 0ºF in the winter. Read our blog for more details on what to pack.
- Pool house details: The hot springs are located in the pool house. There are staff there to check you in, locker rooms with warm showers and blow dryers, and towels. Access to the pool house is included in an overnight stay, or at a fee for day visitors
| Overnight stay | $209-309 + tax/night |
| Hot springs access | $17-20 for ages 6+, free for kids ages 5 & under |
| Ice museum tour | $15-20 for ages 6+, free for kids ages 5 & under |
| Sled dog encounter | $15-20 for ages 6+, free for kids ages 5 & under |
| Dog mushing | $32.50-65 for ages 6+, free for kids ages 5 & under |
| Aurora viewing tour | $45-90 for ages 6+ |
| Meals | |
| Shuttle to Chena Hot Springs | $180/per person |
Chena Hot Springs Resort Overnight Review with Kids
We opted to spend the night at Chena Hot Springs Resort because we were concerned about driving back to Fairbanks in the dark and snow.
Despite many hours of online research, watching videos and reading negative reviews, I am so glad I took the risk and brought my family to Chena Hot Springs. I would recommend families go with the understanding that:
- Kids can only go in the temperature-controlled hot pools and not in the natural geothermal pool
- Depending on age, some kids cannot participate in certain on-site activities
- The hotel is dated, offering motel quality for a high price
- The water at the resort is from a natural spring. It has a rotten egg smell due to the naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide. Bring water bottles for drinking and take this into consideration when you shower.
We stayed in the Fox Rooms ($209/night) located near the pool house. These rooms had two beds, an in suite bathroom, and a tea kettle. It was the perfect size for our little family.
The bathroom was a little dingy, but clean. The room had warm water and central heat. The beds were old, but comfortable and suited our needs.
1. Soak in the Outdoor Hot Springs
Spend about 30 minutes to 1 hour
Chena Hot Springs has an indoor naturally heated lap pool and two kid-safe hot tubs, a few outdoor smaller hot pools at kid-safe temperatures, and a larger natural hot pool that is not temperature regulated and only available for adults. All pools are fed by the hot springs.
Entrance to the hot springs is included in an overnight stay, and also at a fee for day visitors.
We walked to the pool house wearing all our snow gear and changed into swimwear in the locker room. It was still dark outside at 10 a.m. when we made it to the pool. We took a deep breath before opening the exit door. The cold air was shocking as my kids took off running and giggling towards the red lit pool.
With frozen toes, we climbed in and instantly the chill melted away. My kids laughed as they scooped the snow that had piled up on the pool rim and put it on their heads. I tried unsuccessfully to take pictures of the frost that adorned our eyelashes and hair from the frozen steam around us.
Pro-tip: On our drive to Chena Hot Springs, I showed my kids a video of a family with three kids (including one baby) who braved the outdoor pools in the winter. This way my kids would know that it was going to be a cold walk from the locker rooms to the outdoor hot pools in our swimsuits, at 5º Fahrenheit.
2. Swim in the indoor hot pools
Spend about 30 minutes to 1 hour
After spending some time in the outdoor kid-safe hot tubs, we mustered up enough courage to make the trek back inside to splash and play in the indoor pool. Everyone ran, a little more slowly this time with wet feet, through the hallway to the door.
To my dismay it was only a little warmer inside than outside, so we quickly jumped into the pool to stay warm.
We spent about an hour in the outdoor and indoor pools before everyone felt a little cold and hungry.
After, we all showered in the locker room, dried off as much as possible, then began the arduous task of putting on each of many winter layers in order to reenter the chilly Alaskan outdoors.
3. Visit the Ice Museum
1 hour tour
We reserved spots on Chena’s Ice Museum tour the afternoon we arrived and followed a guide through a mysterious door to a temperature-regulated structure, which allows the Ice Museum to exist year-round.
Once inside we found beautiful ice sculptures, a chapel for weddings, three separate bedrooms with actual ice beds and unique ice sculptures per room where guests can spend the night, and an ice bar serving up appletinis in ice martini glasses.
I preordered two appletinis (additional $20 per person) when I purchased our tour tickets, and clinked ice glasses with my husband while my kiddos jealously watched.
Tickets for the Ice Museum tour were $20 for guests ages 12+ and $15 for kids ages 6-11 years.
4. Go Dog Sledding
1 hour tour
Dog sledding was by far my daughters’ favorite activity at Chena Hot Springs. We loved speeding through the snowy forest on a dog sled.
Our kids laughed and smiled during the whole 1.5-mile trail run, while our expert dog musher told me stories about his all-female dog mushing team. He shared that each dog had a name, different skillsets, strengths and weaknesses, and was lovingly cared for by the musher himself.
This activity is available for guests ages 2+ years.
Make sure you put on all the layers because it gets cold when you’re moving fast on the sled. Having a neck gaiter was helpful to keep the cold out, and an absorbent booger catcher for my kids.
5. Hunt for the Northern Lights at Chena Hot Springs Resort
At your leisure, or on a 5+ hour tour
Many people recommend driving out to Chena Hot Springs to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis while soaking in the geothermal pools.
For an even better view, the resort offers an Aurora coach tour to take guests ages six and older to the top of a nearby mountain.
It was cloudy during our visit, so we did not get a chance to see the magic of the Northern Lights from Chena Hot Springs.
6. Play with Sled Dogs & Puppies
1 hour tour
The Chena Kennel Tour is held in the educational visitor center and led by a guide eager to talk about dog mushing for 40 minutes straight.
After the spiel, visitors are led back outside to meet the sled dogs and hold puppies.
The caveat is that the tour only allows guests ages six and older to see the pups, requiring younger guests to watch the puppy cuddling from behind a fence.
We opted out of this activity to avoid whining from our 3-year-old.
This tour costs $25 for guests ages 12+ and $15 for kids ages 6-12 years.
7. Try the Restaurant at Chena Hot Springs Resort
The one and only restaurant at Chena Hot Springs serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
We were happily surprised to find some of our favorite dishes on the menu, like pho and curries, and appreciated the crayons and coloring pages offered by the wait staff.
Chena Hot Springs Resort Sample Itinerary
Two options: Stay over night or visit for the day.
Day Visit to Chena Hot Springs
- 9am: Drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort from Fairbanks
- 10:30am: Arrive at Chena Hot Springs. Schedule dog sled ride.
- 11:30am: Eat lunch at the resort restaurant
- 1pm: Visit the Ice Museum tour
- 2pm: Explore the hot springs – indoor and outdoor
- 4pm: Begin your drive back to Fairbanks for dinner
Overnight Stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort
Day 1 (same as above, plus):
- Check into hotel
- Swim in the hot springs
- Return to room to clean up
- Dinner at the restaurant
Day 2:
- Breakfast at the restaurant or snacks in the hotel room
- Swim in the hot springs
- Clean up in the hotel. Pack up for departure
- Check-out at 11 a.m.
- Return to Fairbanks
Antiracist Travel Considerations
History Corner
The Athabascans and Iñupiaq Eskimos have stewarded the land around Fairbanks, Alaska for 30,000 years. Alaska became the 49th state, part of the U.S. in 1959. Native Alaskans have been fighting for their rights for decades.
According to a children’s book by Inuit storyteller Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak, the many Native Alaskans interpret the Northern Lights as the spirits of their ancestors. Also, dog sledding is an Indigenous tradition as well as a popular Native Alaskan sport.
Our experience
The staff at Chena Hot Springs Resort were a mix of white and BIPOC people, as were the guests. During our one-night stay we were the only family there with little kids. Staff and other guests were kind to us, and greeted us with smiles. We felt welcomed and safe.
Learn More
1. Watch this video about the dog sledding way of life for Alaskan Native communities. Read about Ryan Redington, the sixth Native Alaskan to win the annual Iditarod dog race.
2. Read Northern Lights: Soccer Trails by Inuit storyteller Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak.
3. Check out the Native Youth Olympics in the summer. Watch this video to learn more.
Chena Hot Springs Resort was so much more than just a hot springs and an old hotel. It was a winter adventure land with a magical indoor ice palace!
We loved exploring the rooms in the Ice Museum, imagining what it would be like to stay there, and drinking out of martini glasses made out of ice.
I admit I felt a little bad that I couldn’t share the unique experience of drinking out of ice glasses with the kids, so after taking my last sip of the appletini, I washed the glasses and refilled them with water.
With giant smiles and adult accuracy, my 3- and 6-year-olds shouted “cheers” to each other, clinked glasses and sipped their water. The tour guide joined the rest of the group outside and asked everyone with martinis to smash the glasses after finishing their drink for good luck.
With some encouragement from the tour guide, our two girls reluctantly chucked their glasses onto the icy floor. After many attempts, the martini glasses finally shattered skidding ice chunks along the frozen floor that quickly turned into a soccer game.
If you can tell, my family made awesome memories at Chena Hot Springs Resort. If you can look past the rustic lodging, then you will see what an fun winter adventure Chena Hot Springs Resort can be! The geothermal pools surrounded by snow are magical, the ice museum is unique, and the dog sledding experience made everyone in my family smile.
Go ahead, give Chena Hot Springs a try, and leave a comment below when you do!
This post is part of a series of posts about visiting Alaska in winter with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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