Chena Hot Springs is about a 1.5-hour drive from Fairbanks. The Resort has a lot of infrastructure and support, with a restaurant, bar, warming areas, and workspaces. It’s a 20-minute ride up the mountain in a Hagglund to the Yurts where Aurora viewing happens almost nightly. The probability to see it is extremely high up there. It can get foggy, but climbing the mountain increases the probability of getting out of the low areas where the fog rests.

February here is a little warmer than the North Pole, with much more topographical protection from wind and elevation changes. There is no cell phone service down in the valley at the springs but great up on the mountain.