It Wasn't My Turn: Looking for Northern Lights at Chena Hot Springs, Fairbanks, Alaska
Jan. 22-25, 2025
Seeing the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) has been a longtime dream for me. Solar storm activity is high this year, and I decided to head north in hopes of seeing them. I chose to stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort because it was more affordable than other options, and it has ... hot springs!
Due to cloudy weather, I sadly did not see the Aurora. I was disappointed, but I don't regret trying. Other guests said, "It just wasn't our turn," and I like this philosophy.
If you've ever dreamed of seeing this fabled celestial phenomenon, read on to learn about Chena Hot Springs, other Aurora viewing options, and tips for maximizing your chances of a sighting.
A quick note about weather: It's normally quite cold in Fairbanks in the winter, often well below zero. But warmer winters are becoming more common. It was 10 degrees when I arrived, and 37 degrees when I left. It rained the second day, and the snow became treacherously slick, with deep slush and puddles.
Before you spend the bucks to try to see the Aurora, do your homework. The Aurora page on the Chena website has a lot of good information, and there are numerous websites that provide Aurora forecasts. The above map from the University of Fairbanks Aurora Forecast website shows the forecast for January 26, 2025. (Chena Hot Springs is 60 miles NE of Fairbanks.)
You need two things for a great Aurora experience: high Auroral activity, and clear skies. It's almost impossible to predict either of these very far ahead. (For what it's worth, the Chena shuttle driver, who has lived in the area his whole life, said the last half of February and first half of March are the best times to come for both clear skies and high Auroral activity.)
Do not go during a full moon (too much light) or a new moon (too little light). Some places fill up early, so book ahead. Stay at least three nights, to hedge your weather bets -- longer is better.
The flight from Seattle to Fairbanks takes 3 to 3.5 hours. Ticket prices range from about $300 to $600, depending on how far ahead you book. Farewatchers can help you find cheaper deals. It's a delightfully small airport. I arrived at 3 pm and it got dark about 4:30. Those are mountains on the horizon.
I do not recommend renting a car and driving in the winter. It's 60 miles on an empty, snowy (or icy) road, with no cell service and unpredictable moose who might jump out in front of you. It took us about 1.5 hours on the way there, and longer on the way back due to ice. Other drivers can also be a hazard. The shuttle was $190 round trip. My return trip was in daylight, and then I was able to see the spruce and birch trees lining the road.
Map of the resort
The main lodge has a check-in desk, restaurant, and gift shop.
The main lodge reception area. Those are stuffed muskoxen up on the shelf.
The check-in desk is made from old mining cars. The restaurant and gift shop are beyond.
The bar and one corner of the restaurant.
The restaurant food gets good reviews. They grow their own vegetables. The activity center has a cafe with cheaper food options.
There are rooms in older fourplexes, like this one where I stayed, as well as in several newer lodge buildings.
My room was $200 per night, the cheapest option. It was clean and comfortable. The rooms are geothermally heated and get very toasty. They tell you to open the windows if your room is too warm.
Sink area
Toilet and shower. The water smells of sulfur, which didn't bother me.
The activity center has a cafe, and is where you sign up for cross country skiing, electric snow machines, dogsledding, ice fishing, and tours of the greenhouses, geothermal plant, ice museum, or dog kennels. The Aurora Viewing Tour costs $90 and lasts five hours. They drive you up onto a ridge in a snow cat, where you spend four hours (10 pm to 2 am) in a heated yurt waiting to see if the Lights come out. The forecast was cloudy all three nights I was there, so I did not take the tour.
The third night there was high Auroral activity, but it was still cloudy. I sat in the "Aurora Viewing room" for a few hours just in case. The heated space is kept dark at night, and the window faces north. If the Lights come out, you can step outside to see them better. (However, the resort is in a valley, and the best viewing is from the ridge above, which has an unobstructed view of the horizon.) I was only able to stay awake until 11:30...
The resort is about 50 years old, and recently became employee owned. Staff live there and go into Fairbanks occasionally for supplies. Some have been there for years, and others come for a season or two. Room and board is provided, so it can be a good way to save up some money. There are about 80 employees.
The cafe has a little store and gift shop.
The deli case has fresh soup, salad, and sandwiches. The vegetables are grown in the resort greenhouse.
There are fresh baked goods and hot beverages in the cafe.
Looking from the activity center toward the main lodge. In late January, it got light at 9:30 am and dark at 4:30 pm.
There are trails for walking, cross country skiing, and quiet electric snow machines. A three-mile loop trail follows Monument Creek. The light looks bluer up in the far north.
I saw a lot of moose tracks, but no moose.
On my first day, the sky began to clear, giving me hope for seeing Northern Lights that evening, but alas, the clouds came back.
Geothermally-heated, hydroponic greenhouses are used to grow lettuce and other vegetables. They work with the University of Fairbanks to do research and develop new growing techniques.
The lettuce they grow is delicious.
Hydroponically-grown cucumbers
The tomato greenhouse. The cafe serves a mean tomato bisque.
We got a brief peek inside the geothermal power plant.
The tour didn't allow us to see much, but this poster explains how the geothermal power system works.
A resident goat
Pool building on the left, and massage cabins on the right
Entrance to the hot springs pool. There is also an outdoor hot tub and an indoor pool and hot tubs.
The hot springs pool is delightful. The water comes out of the ground at 165 degrees F and they add cold water to cool it to around 106 degrees.
It was raining on my second day, turning the hiking trails to mush, so I took the ice museum tour. The space is kept at 25 degrees F, and contains sculptures made by an award-winning local ice artist. They serve "appletinis" in ice glasses.
The ice glasses are carved in this shop.
Life-size sculptures of knights on horseback
Sunflowers preserved in ice
Shuttling to the airport in daylight
Leaving Fairbanks at dusk
These felt-lined Sorel snow boots were perfect. The soles have great traction, and the boots kept my feet warm in the cold and dry in the slush puddles. Dress in layers for unpredictable temperatures, and bring a waterproof outer layer in case of wet snow or rain.
Other Aurora viewing options
There are many other options for viewing the Northern Lights. Besides Alaska, you can see them in Iceland, Scandinavia, etc. I met people who stayed in Fairbanks and hired a driver to take them out at night. Here are two other options recommended by people I met.
Borealis Basecamp, near Fairbanks, is quite a bit more expensive than Chena, and you must book at least six months ahead. You sleep in domes with plexiglass windows, and they wake you up if the Lights come out, so you don't have to stay awake waiting. There are no hot springs.
Viking "In Search of the Northern Lights" cruise. This 13-day cruise is pricey, but includes stops along Norway's coast, and they wake you up if the Lights come out.