Wilderness and Aurora views yet close to town

A charming cedar shake house perched on a bluff overlooking the Tanana River with a view of the Alaska Range mountains when the weather permits. About 2000 square feet with 2 bedrooms, each with a queen bed plus a sofa for overflow sleeping. Total of 5 people can be accommodated in winter.

I have lived at Casa Tanana for the past 18 years and have enjoyed it immensely. I recently retired from the Univeristy of Alaska Fairbanks and would like to share my home and its ambiance with you while I am away.

You should think about renting Casa Tanana if you want the most deluxe river camp possible, with an outstanding view of the Tanana River and mountains beyond, where you can enjoy Interior Alaska regardless of the weather. The power of Alaska is in the rivers, mountains and skies and all three are on uncluttered display from the living room and most other places on the property.

If the cloud cover and aurora activity are right you can see the aurora from inside the house if you turn off all the lights. The view from within the house will not be as clear as it would be if you went outside because you will be looking through 4 panes of glass. However, there is no light pollution at Casa Tanana. If you visit primarily for the aurora you should plan on having a car and spending time driving around for the best vantage point for a particular night.

Late in the winter when the ice is thickest there is easy access to cross-country skiing on the Tanana River. Easiest skiing is on snow-machine trails on the river but you can venture off the trails to read the animal tracks along the banks.

Casa Tanana sits about 100 feet above river level and the view is to the East south-east across the Tanana River and onto the Tanana Flats. The land across the river is a functional wilderness and as a result you never see fixed lights from the living room window in the months when it gets dark, yet you are only about 15 minutes from Fairbanks International Airport, 2 hours from Denali National Park and within about 10 miles of the Fairbanks city center, all accessible on good paved roads.

About 50 miles across the flats are the mountains of the Alaska Range and when it is clear you can see four peaks ranging from about 12,000 to 14,000 feet in elevation. There is a key to their names on an end table in the living room.

The river is alive, regardless of the season. As a natural travel corridor, aircraft of all types, dog teams, skiers, and watercraft pass by. The water level fluctuates dramatically among the seasons with the least water and most abundant sandbars from late-September through late-June. Mile-wide shallow water dominates the view from late-June through mid-September as snow melts in the mountains. Full moon nights on expansive pure white snow are enchanting. The nighttime skies are unpolluted and the aurora is visible from the property when active and it is not overcast.