The 57-mi paved Chena Hot Springs Road, which starts 5 mi outside Fairbanks, leads to Chena Hot Springs, a favorite playground of many Fairbanks residents. Several attractions lie along the road, including Chena River State Recreation Area and Chena Hot Springs Resort. If you're heading to the resort, there are ample opportunities along the way to prolong your trip with hiking, fishing, camping, and canoeing. The chances of spotting a moose are excellent if you keep a sharp eye on the roadside.
From Mile 26 to Mile 51, the road passes through the Chena River State Recreation Area, a diverse facility of nearly 400 square mi. You can also stop for a picnic, take a hike for an hour or an extended backpacking trip, fish for the beautiful yet gullible arctic grayling, or rent a rustic backcountry cabin and savor a truly wild Alaska adventure. Grayling fishing in the Chena River is catch-and-release, single-hook artificial lure only. There are several stocked lakes along the road affording catch-and-keep fishing for rainbow trout, which are well suited to the frying pan.
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