Winter Activites in Fairbanks Alaska
Winter tourism in Interior Alaska is something few travellers undertake. With long dark days and subzero temperatures, a winter trip to Fairbanks can be daunting. But Fairbanks is a surprisingly dynamic place between September and April. With alpine and Nordic skiing, hockey and nearby hot springs, it’s an outdoor enthusiasts dream. Add the silent beauty of the sub arctic and the luminescent Aurora Borealis and a winter vacation to Alaska can be the trip of a lifetime.
During the winter season, the University of Alaska Fairbanks hosts NCAA Division One hockey. The UAF Nanooks play a fast paced game against some of the best teams in the country. Watching a game in a packed house at the Carlson Center in downtown Fairbanks is one of the best ways to spend a Friday or Saturday night. Afterwards a stop at the UAF Pub on campus or the Marlin just down the street on College Rd. is a great way to cap off the evening.
Interior Alaska is also home to several alpine ski areas. Twenty minutes out of town stands Moose Mountain, an excellent area with long, tree-lined runs. On the cold days, their system of heated terrestrial trams makes the ride to the top quite pleasant. Slightly further north lies a more challenging slope. Mt. Aurora Skiland, which is about a forty-five minute drive north of town, boasts steep runs and excellent terrain. Mr. Aurora Skiland also runs a lodge which (due to the lack of light pollution and clear skies) has incredible Northern Lights viewing.
For Nordic skiing, Fairbanks has a world class trail system. Located on the eastern edge of town, Birch Hill runs an extensive network of trails geared both for classic track skiing as well as skate skiing. Often, the US Ski team trains here early in the season due to the typical autumn snow.
Sometimes though, the best part of the cold and snow is temporarily escaping it. Chena Hot springs lies an hour northeast of Fairbanks. Soaking in the piping hot waters while snowflakes gently fall is an experience not to be missed. The resort contains a hotel, cosy cabins, a fantastic restaurant, a massage service, snow machine and ski tours as well as indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs.
The majority of the residents of Alaska live here because they love the outdoors. Summer or winter, they’re outside enjoying the natural beauty of their surroundings. So for the outdoors enthusiast, a wintertime visit to Alaska makes perfect sense. You’ll miss the tour bus crowds of the summer and you’ll gain a much better understanding of Alaska. The locals are especially friendly, the northern lights crackle cross the frozen skies after dark, and best of all, there won’t be a single mosquito until May.
