Northern lights
See the northern lights
Fairbanks is the practical base. Dark skies run from late August into April.
- Season
- Winter
- Where
- Fairbanks
- Level
- Easy
What it is
The aurora is a night-sky event, which means you want clear weather and a place without streetlights. Fairbanks has both more often than Anchorage. Cleary Summit and the hills north of town are the simple drives. Guided vans exist because standing in a parking lot at minus twenty is a skill. Check a forecast, then stay up. The lights do not keep office hours.
Before you go
September and March are kinder than January. A forecast is odds, not a promise. Dress for standing still.
Plan this
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More in Northern lights
- Sleep under a clear roof
A lodge or dome north of Fairbanks built so you can watch the sky from bed.
- Soak at Chena Hot Springs
Outdoor hot springs an hour from Fairbanks, with a real chance of aurora in winter.