Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
Chena Hot Springs is an unincorporated community and hot spring resort in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States, northeast of Fairbanks near the Chena River State Recreation Area. The resort makes use of the first low-temperature binary geothermal power plant built in Alaska, and is working on several alternative energy projects, including production and use of hydrogen and vegetable oil for fuel. The resort is conducting collaborative experiments in greenhouse production of vegetables with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
History
Chena Hot Springs was founded over 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 Interior Alaska’s harsh landscape. In 1911, twelve small cabins were built to accommodate visitors. The twelve cabins developed, establishing it as a resort in the interior of Alaska. The United States Department of Agriculture sent chemists to analyze the water.Demographics
Chena Hot Springs has never formally reported a population on the U.S. Census. The USGS reported it had an estimated summer population of 10 for the resort.Weather
The coordinates for Chena Hot Springs Alaska are 65'03 N and 146'03 W. The average yearly temperature for the area is, with thehighest temperature being in July at and the lowest temperature being in
January at. Annually the average amount of precipitation is. The average snowfall amount in Chena Hot Springs is annually.
Chena Hot Springs has visibility of the Aurora borealis, especially around the March equinox.