Alaska has long been a destination for travelers drawn to its awe-inspiring landscapes, abundance of wildlife, wild adventures, and wide open spaces for quiet reflection. From the aurora borealis dancing in the night sky over Fairbanks to Denali breaking through the clouds, to whales breaching in the Alaskan waters during their summer migration, to icebergs calving and wildflowers blooming, there truly is something for everyone.

Though many travelers visit Alaska in the summertime, winter is a terrific time to visit, too. Not only is there the chance to peep the Northern Lights, but myriad wintertime activities abound, like dog sledding, ice climbing, snowshoeing, and downhill skiing, to name a few. 

It’s also the perfect destination for a cold yet comfy getaway to Alyeska Nordic Spa. Alyeska is an Aleut word meaning “great land,” from which the state’s name was derived . Alyeska is a fitting name for the Nordic spa tucked into the Chugach Forest, the northernmost rainforest in North America.

The first Nordic spa in Alaska, and one of just a handful or so in the U.S., Alyeska Nordic Spa opened in September 2022 as part of Alyeska Resort, 40 miles south of Anchorage in Girdwood. The 50,000 square foot, adults-only, cell phone-free space features outdoor hot and cold hydrotherapy pools and experiences, including cedar soaking tubs, halotherapy and Finnish saunas, and an exfoliation cabin with Alaskan sea salt. 

An elevated boardwalk loop through the rainforest easily serves as a walking meditation, connecting two-barrel saunas, two banya saunas, and six cedar soaking tubs, five hot and one cold plunge. Spa-goers enjoy full-day access and are invited to spend as much time as they’d like moving through the hydrotherapy sequence, repeating the sequence as many times as desired during the spa’s opening hours.

“The Nordic Spa provides guests an opportunity to experience the Nordic tradition of hydrotherapy, a health ritual Nordic people have practiced for thousands of years,” says Simmone Lyons, director of Nordic spa operations at Alyeska Nordic Spa. “Guests can cycle through stages of submersion in hot and cold water at their leisure, moving between the initial hot pools to stimulate blood flow and relax muscles, to cold, utilizing the cold plunge waterfall to flush the body of toxins.”

A heated pathway connects the spa’s outdoor spaces with those indoors, including wellness classrooms; Two Trees Bistro, offering seasonal bites and sips in a cozy setting exclusively for guests of the Nordic spa; and treatment rooms wherein two massage techniques are offered to enhance the Nordic experience. The Forest Therapy Massage is designed to maintain balance and promote wellness; and the Nordic Signature Massage incorporates warm and cool elements to improve circulation and restore calm. A Prenatal Massage for mothers-to-be is also available.

 Alyeska Nordic Spa is open year-round and is accessible from Anchorage and Seward via the Seward Highway and Alaska Railroad’s Coastal Classic train (May through September).  www.alyeskaresort.com