Fairbanks Things to Do

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Cruise the Chena and Tanana Rivers on the sternwheeler Discovery III. This is a narrated 3½-hour tour with a 1-hour stop at the Chena Indian Village, a recreated Athabascan settlement. Beverages and snacks are available for purchase on board.

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Take a guided Segway tour in the historic city of Fairbanks. Start with lessons in how to ride/steer/maneuver on the Segway complete with mini obstacle course. Then follow the leader to see the sights! I personally have had a segway on my bucket list and this was very affordable here. After the tour we were allowed to ride around a grassy area and go up and down the small hills. I felt like a kid again. Apparently swooping by the other tourists is frowned on. Darn

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Just as it sounds it is a Hot Springs. I will write my review as seen by a summer day trip visitor. From Fairbanks it was about an hour and a half drive. Perhaps one can arrive faster but there are always moose to be seen and it is hard not to stop to admire and take pictures. Our goal was to soak in the outdoor pool. The cost for myself, an adult was $10 for the day - until midnight so I could come and go. Bring a towel or prepare to pay $5 more. The ladies locker room is small. Really small. And another VTer advised not to bring a large gym bag. The outdoor pool is not for those under 18 btw. It runs in temp from about 100 - 110 Fahrenheit. The kids with us played inside in the indoor pool and I believe they could access a hot tub. If you want to stay overnight there is camping, cabins, and a resort. Remember this is Alaska so it still has that rural Alaska feel. There is also an ice museum. I did not get to see that but will on another visit. It was nice to visit in the summer and soak some of my hiking aches and pains away. Winter is the high season and my friend who worked there said it is very popular with the Japanese tourists, those wanting to see the Aurora Borealis, ski, snow shoe, and more.

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Granite Tors Trail is a 15 mile loop located at mile 39.5 on the Chena Hot Springs Road. There is also a 3 mile loop which is what we did. The 15 mile loop goes from forest and rolling alpine tundra to big granite Tors (outcroppings). The three mile loop (which we thought was not actually 3 miles but less) does not reach the Tors. It is possible to back pack also and nompermitbis required. There is a fee and you must pay and put the stub reciept in your car or risk being fined. In July of 2012 the fee was $3. We found this trail to be buggier than the Angel Rocks Trail. Most likely due to the wetness of parts of the trail. And we hiked on a Tuesday and read that on Friday a woman was being circled by a grizzly. She defended herself with insect repellent. If possible when hiking in Alaska bear spray is a good addition to your pack.

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Located at mile 48.9 along the Chena Hot Springs Road is the hiking trail called Angel Rocks. It is a sometimes steep hike to a large granite outcropping. Round trip is approximately 4 miles. Some advise to hike up and return the same way as the back half of the trail is not as well maintained. I did find this to be true but was successful in completing the round trip. There are excellent views to be had. It is a good day hike. It is possible to take a side trail and hike all the way to Chena Hot Springs. I believe once I was at the top of the outcroppings it was another 6.5 miles to the hot springs.

Chena Hot Springs is about an hour or two drive from Fairbanks, but it is worth it. You can go swimming in the hot spring. Along the way there are camp sites, and hikes to take. It is also very scenic and lovely. There is a very cool ice museum there as well.

The University Museum is a good place to learn about the vast and diverse state. The galleries give a nice overview of the five major geographic regions. The exhibits highlight the people, the wildlife, the geography and the history of each region. I was especially impressed by some to the animals on display.

Billed as Alaska's only pioneer theme park, Pioneer Park is a 44-acre facility filled with Alaska's history. It was originally built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska from Russia, and it continues to operate today as a historical site and community park.

I spent an afternoon at Pioneer Park and wished I had had more time there. Things to see and do include:


Gold Rush Town
Alaskaland Mini-golf
Tanana Valley Railroad Engine #1
Information Center (Pioneer Walking Tours)
Palace Theater and Saloon
Canoe, Kayak and Bike Rentals
Dance Hall
Pioneer Air Museum
Pioneer Hall
Judge Wickersham House
Kitty Hensley House
President Harding Railroad Car
Sternwheeler Nenana National Historical Landmark
Native Village Museum and Kashims
Bear Art Gallery
Alaska Salmon Bake
Playground and Picnic Shelters
and more.

Pioneer Park is open daily year round. Admission to the park is free, although some of the individual attractions within it require an admission charge.

For some of these I will list a separate tip on the next few pages.