Chena River State Recreation Area
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- $5 parkingAnnual pass available
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- YesAlso cabins
- Official site
- dnr.alaska.gov
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Chena River State Recreation Area is a 242,004-acre recreation area in Fairbanks North Star County, about 38 miles east of Fairbanks.
Things to do include fishing and hiking. Overnight options include campsites, with tent sites. If you'd rather not camp, the park offers cabins.
Fees and passes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Chena Pump State Recreation Site: Parking | $5 |
Official wording
Chena Pump State Recreation Site: Parking $5 Chena River State Recreation Area: Chena River State Recreation Area:
Alaska park passes
- Annual Day Use Parking Pass — $60. Day-use parking at most state parks for the calendar year (not Pillars/Eagle Rock boat launches, Arctic Valley, Eagle River Nature Center) Details
- Annual Boat Launch Pass — $150. Boat launch fees for the calendar year Details
- Disabled Veterans Camping Pass. Camping for qualifying disabled veterans Details
From the Alaska state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Reserve Alaska State Parks (reservealaskastateparks.com)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
See the park’s wording
Whether you prefer a day hike or rock climb at Granite Tors, to harness up the dog team and escape into the snowy horizon or ride a 4-wheeler along a forest trail, this recreation area has something for everyone. In winter months, two major dog sled races use portions of the old Chena Hot Springs Winter Trail.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Rosehip Campground Twin Bears Camp Granite Tors Campground Red Squirrel Campground
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Cabins and lodging
- Hunt Memorial Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/huntmemorialcabin.htm
- Granite Tors Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/granitetorscabin.htm
- Chena River Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/chenarivercabin.htm
- North Fork Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/northforkcabin.htm
- Colorado Creek Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/coloradocreekcabin.htm
- Stiles Creek Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/stilescreekcabin.htm
- Nugget Creek Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/nuggetcreekcabin.htm
- Upper Angel Creek Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/upperangelcreekcabin.htm
- Lower Angel Creek Cabinhttps://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/lowerangelcreekcabin.htm
Cabins (See fee page) Hunt Memorial Cabin Granite Tors Cabin Chena River Cabin North Fork Cabin Colorado Creek Cabin Stiles Creek Cabin Nugget Creek Cabin Upper Angel Creek Cabin Lower Angel Creek Cabin
Things to do
CampingFishingHiking
Trails
Chena River State Recreation Area is a park for all seasons, with 397 square miles of forests, rivers, and alpine tundra. Whether you prefer a day hike or rock climb at Granite Tors, to harness up the dog team and escape into the snowy horizon or ride a 4-wheeler along a forest trail, this recreation area has something for everyone. The variety of activities draw more than 150,000 people to the Chena River State Recreation Area every year. The campgrounds can accommodate all outdoor enthusiasts, from tent campers to deluxe recreational vehicles. There are three developed campgrounds: Rosehip Campground at milepost 27 Chena Hot Springs Road, Tors Trail Campground at milepost 39, and Red Squirrel Campground and Picnic Area at milepost 43. In winter months, two major dog sled races use portions of the old Chena Hot Springs Winter Trail. Ski touring and snow machining are also popular. The recreation area contains numerous winter trails, providing opportunities for motorized and nonmotorized recreation. Wildlife is abundant in the Chena River Recreation Area. Visitors frequently find moose grazing in the beaver ponds and sloughs along Chena Hot Springs Road. Black and grizzly bears inhabit the area, though seldom seen. Grizzly bears have been spotted by backcountry hikers in alpine areas and along the river and black bears are sometimes found in areas with abundant vegetation.
Fishing
The park follows the Chena River: a clear flowing, class I-II river, ideal for kayaking, canoeing, or fishing for the abundant arctic grayling. Chena Hot Springs Road parallels the river, providing boaters and anglers plenty of entry and exit points from choose from. Dipping the hook for grayling can be an invigorating experience in the summer. In addition to the river, three small ponds have been stocked at mileposts 30, 45.5 and 47.9. The river is catch and release only, but fish caught in the gravel ponds may be kept.
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Camping
- Tent camping
Lodging
- Cabins
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
ADA Facility - Yes
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- Chena Hot Springs Road
AK - Nearest town
- Fairbanks — about 38 mi east (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 64.9382, -146.3873
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Parks Highway or Richardson Highway to Steese Highway. Turn on Chena Hot Spring Road.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Alaska State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- Alaska DNR ArcGIS 'ASP Park Boundary' layer (OpenData/Recreational_ParkBoundary MapServer/2, refreshed daily), with unit pages from the region 'List of Units' tabs
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology