History
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Chena Hot Springs was founded 100 years ago by two gold mining brothers, Robert and Thomas Swan. In 1905, Robert Swan was suffering from Rheumatism and needed a place to calm his pain and be comfortable. The two brothers set out to find the hot springs. It took them a little over a month to reach the hot springs after searching for it in Alaska’s harsh landscape. In 1911, twelve small cabins were built to accommodate visitors. The twelve cabins developed, and they became one of the most famous resorts in the interior of Alaska. Chena Hot Springs became so famous that the United States Department of Agriculture sent chemists to analyze the water. The charactaristics of the water are very different from other American hot springs because they provide more geothermal resources than any other state in the country. The resort is located 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks.[1]
Wildlife
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The Chena Hot Springs Road is a spot where it is extremely common to see moose in the summer months along the road as well as fox, muskrat, and hares. Near mile 25, the road begins to follow the Chena River. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the river is a good spot to see the wildlife in Chena Hot Springs because of “the silent approach, the pace of the river, and the opportunity to fish and explore side sloughs and adjacent beaver ponds.” Wolves and bobcats can be seen at times as well as caribou in the winter months. Song birds, woodpeckers, and great horned owls are common at all times in Chena Hot Springs. [2]
Weather
editThe latitude for Chena Hot Springs Alaska is 65 03N and the longitude is 146 03W (“Chena Hot Springs Alaksa” 1). The average yearly temperature for the area is -4.9 degrees Celsius, with the highest temperature being in July at 20.4 degrees Celsius and the lowest temperature being in January at -31.2 degrees Celsius. Annually the average amount of precipitation is 357 mm. of precipitation is 357 mm. The average snowfall amount in Chena Hot Springs is 161.8 cm annually.[3]
Aurora Ice Museum
editThe purpose of the Ice Museum is to boost the tourism of the resort and provide job opportunities for many ice artists in the area. The museum is made of ice blocks cut from a local pond during colder seasons. The museum is open throughout the entire year, including in the summer, when the temperature can reach up to 90ºF(32ºC). The inner structure of the museum consists of a great hall and a lounge, where it is home to countless sculptures and carved ice crystals. Some of these pieces include a gigantic chess set and life-size jousting knights. One of the rooms even has an ice toilet. Most of the sculptures are made by Steve Brice, a 13-time World Ice Art Champion, and his wife, Heather Brown (Lund 3-4). [4]
Geothermal Power Plant
editChena Hot Springs Resort uses a geothermal energy plant to generate energy. The resort replaced the diesel generators used in the past with this powerplant since July 2006, and it is successful in reducing the cost from 30 cents/kWh to 7 cents/kWh. The resort owners have future plans in increasing the work output of the powerplant from 200kW to 1MW.[5]
Transportation
editChena Hot Springs Resort provides transportation for all guests staying overnight in the resort. The shuttle picks up guests from Fairbanks Airport, any Fairbanks Hotel, or a downtown location. Guests who are interested in the shuttles are required to book the transportation 72 hours in advance. The shuttle charges are either included in a purchased package or required to be purchased. The rates are as follows: [6]
| Header text | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|
| One Person | $99 | $195 |
| Two or more passengers | $65 | $125 |