Alaska, in North America is one of the best places in the world to catch the emerald dancing Northern Lights. Canada, Northern Europe, Russia, basically all the countries closer to the North Pole also offer great opportunities to catch the Aurora Borealis. These places fall in the Auroral Oval, a ring-shaped area around the Earth’s geomagnetic north pole.
Viewing the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis is one of the most popular winter activities in Northern Alaska. In this post I am going to provide all the details not only about how to see the Northern Lights in Alaska but also when, where and the best resources to help you catch them.
When is the best time to view the Northern Lights in Alaska?
Auroral activity is best viewed from late September to March. Though the Northern lights occur all year long, it is harder to catch them during summer/late spring/early fall due to long daylight hours.
The Northern lights intensify in late September and March because the Earth is perfectly tilted in relation to the sun and hence both earth’s magnetic field and solar wind are in sync.
However, March is considered the perfect month to view the aurora borealis since it is enhanced by the spring equinox, new moon and clear spring skies.
The only reason we visited in October and booked the tickets just 3 days in advance was because of the solar storm that was to come the following week. And how did we know about that? Read more to find out!
Science behind the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Auroras are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar wind. These disturbances are sometimes strong enough to alter the trajectories of charged particles in both solar wind and the earth’s atmosphere.
The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emit light of varying color and complexity. Hence more solar activity, i.e., a strong solar storm = intense auroral activity.
There is also the Solar Cycle which determines the intensity of auroral activity. The Sun’s magnetic field goes through a cycle known as the Solar cycle every 11 years. The beginning and the end of the Solar cycle are called Solar minimum and the middle is called as the Solar maximum, when the auroral intensity peaks.
The next Solar maximum is in 2025, so mark your calendars for full auroral storms! However, you can still catch these colorful lights on clear skies during solar minimums.
Where can I see the Northern Lights in Alaska?
Best Places to catch the Northern Lights in Alaska
Fairbanks
Ideally, the best place to catch the Northern lights in Alaska should be North of 65 ° – 70 ° latitude. Fairbanks is about 180 miles south of the Arctic circle and makes for a sweet spot to catch the Northern lights. Hence we chose this city.
Best Places to view the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska
We knew Fairbanks was a great place to catch the Northern lights but where in Fairbanks took some research and useful tips from local people.
Cleary Summit – This is where we caught the solar storm displaying the surreal emerald colors, dancing over our heads. You can easily drive up to this summit (with permitting road conditions). There is a huge parking lot to park your car and look up at the sky. It is a pretty well known spot.
Olnes Pond – This was one spot a kind local tour guide mentioned that we can drive up to. We have seen some good pictures at this spot.
Chena Hot Springs Resort – This is another famous destination to view the Northern lights. If there is a good enough solar storm, you can catch it from the resort itself (despite the resort lights). We were here before we decided to head towards Cleary Summit. The resort has a free viewing area which is indoors and warm. The downside was the mountain behind the resort might block the aurora and the resort lights might not give you a clear dark sky. They also offer tours which take you hunting the northern lights. Mind you they get booked fast in peak seasons.
Chena Lakes Recreation Area – Another good spot to catch the aurora, especially if you want a photo with its reflection on the lake.
Murphy Dome – We visited Murphy dome too while hunting for the northern lights. It has a huge parking space, and is on top of a hill so nothing obstructs your view.
Coldfoot
Coldfoot is roughly at 67 ° N latitude and directly below the auroral oval in the Alaska arctic. It is a perfect spot to catch the Northern lights in the arctic. However, it is on the famous Dalton Highway where driving can be treacherous even in the day. There are adventure tours which take you up to the coldfoot camp and nearby where you can watch the lights from the warmth of their van.
City of Utqiaġvik (Barrow)
If you want to get even more adventurous and go to the extreme north edge of Alaska, you can head towards Utqiaġvik at 71 ° N latitude. Be ready to brave the frigid temperatures. You can take tours to this place or fly directly from Anchorage. This city is also home to the native Inupiat culture.
Northern Alaska Tours or Tundra Tours offer tour packages to Coldfoot and Utqiaġvik (Barrow)
Between Anchorage and Fairbanks
This is something we explored on our trip in October. Fairbanks had cloudy skies one night during the solar storm, hence we decided to head south in search of the lights.
Paxton Lake – We reached Paxton lake campground at night 10 pm to literally find no one except us and the eerie sounds of the lake lapping against the bank. It was pitch dark and freezing. A great spot if the aurora is bright. We could capture it on our camera but couldn’t see it with our naked eye since it was not intense that night.
Denali National Park – Denali National park is also another great spot if there is a good solar storm. Watch out for wildlife though!
Anchorage
Although Anchorage is not well known as a place for catching the Northern lights, you still can catch some if you move north and away from the city.
Something to remember: If the aurora is visible in one of the above places then it DOESN’T necessarily mean it’s visible in the other places too. In Fairbanks, we actually visited 3 places the night (or nights) we went hunting for the northern lights and found it only in Cleary Summit on 1 night. And it wasn’t by chance, it took some monitoring, but how? Read more!
The Best Ways to catch the Northern Lights in Alaska
Some important tips and resources to help you in catching the northern lights!
Plan a trip for at least 5-7 days
We were in Fairbanks for 7 days, with a solar storm for 4 days . We saw the aurora bright with our naked eye 1 day and caught a low intensity one on our camera another day. So catching the aurora is like a quest, you need to hunt it. Weather plays an important role. Even though there might be a solar storm, a cloudy/rainy/snowy night can spoil it. Remember the northern lights are way above the clouds. So plan a trip with at least 3-4 nights dedicated to hunt the aurora.
Monitor weather conditions
Dark Sky Cloud Map was our saviour in finding clear skies. We monitored it every night and drove all over. We drove 6 hours one night (back and forth) just to get away from the clouds and find the lights and we did, phew! There are other weather apps that you can google and download in the app store.
Monitor Auroral Activity
This is the most important thing to do when you want to catch the Aurora Borealis. We used My Aurora Forecast App. The app is pretty good with alerts when the solar activity is high, position of the auroral oval and the probability of viewing according to location
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a Space Weather Prediction Center, another resource for a short-term forecast of Northern Lights activity.
A nightly forecast on Aurora viewing alongside a 28-day forecast from Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska.
SolarHam for a three-day geomagnetic forecast
Another important resource is Facebook Groups!! The one group that we monitored almost day and night for updates was – Aurora Borealis Notifications Group. People put up consistent updates about activity all over the world, mainly Alaska and Iceland. It was very helpful in narrowing down the location to view the lights.
Wear warm Clothes and bundle up!
Aurora hunting means staying out at night in the cold for hours. So bundle up with layers and layers of warm clothes. Thermals, gloves, warm shirts and pants, sweaters, jackets, hand warmers, everything plural 😀
Hope you find our guide to catching the Northern Lights in Alaska helpful!
