Seeing the aurora borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights, is bearing witness to a sublime natural phenomenon. During the coldest months of the year, kaleidoscopic ribbons of colored light ignite the night sky.
No two auroral shows are the same. Some last minutes; others go on for hours. They can be displayed as bands, curtains, rays, or coronas. When activity is lower, the hues lean green, teal, and opal, but when it’s higher, they skew magenta and violet.
U.S. travelers don’t need to go to Norway or Iceland to catch the solar-powered fête. Alaska is one of the best places in the country to see the northern lights—here’s how, when, and where to see them in Alaska.
Best time of year to see the northern lights in Alaska
The ideal time to see the northern lights in Alaska is between September and April, when the nights are longer. Although the lights happen year-round, it’s only dark enough to catch them from early fall to early spring in much of Alaska, typically between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. (though it’s possible they’ll come out earlier or later). Auroral activity also tends to be higher around the fall and spring equinox (late September and March) due to the Earth’s tilt.
For those wanting to cross off this bucket list item in 2025, this year could be a good time to make the trip. In October 2024, NASA and NOAA announced that we are officially in a solar maximum period. Every 11 or so years, the sun’s magnetic poles flip, causing solar activity to increase. During a solar maximum, the sun is at its most stormy, meaning auroral displays are at their most vibrant because of the increased magnetic activity. And according to NASA, this period could continue for the next year.
Where to check aurora borealis forecasts
Even if conditions are right, it’s hard to predict when the dancing lights will take the stage or what magnitude they will be. Their presence all depends on solar activity.
In essence: The sun shoots electrically charged protons and electrons toward our planet, and when those elements collide with the Earth’s magnetic field, they’re drawn toward the poles, a move that excites the gases in our atmosphere. The mixing of the particles and gases causes the lights—it’s the same reaction that is found in neon lights. The more active the storms on the sun are, the more active the displays on Earth are.
Scientists measure the general likelihood of visibility, known as the Kp Index, on a scale of zero to nine. The larger the number, the better the odds, and anything above a four is considered “high activity.” This information is available from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, along with a 27-day aurora borealis forecast. For a 30-minute prediction, you can also visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website or download an app like My Aurora Forecast & Alerts.
Where to see the northern lights in Alaska
Although the northern lights can appear anywhere in Alaska, some areas have more frequent auroral displays. If you’re serious about witnessing the swirling spectacle, plan a trip to an area that sits under the auroral oval, a band that hugs the northernmost latitudes where auroral activity has the highest concentration. Here are the best places in Alaska for viewing the northern lights.
Fairbanks
For eager aurora hunters, Fairbanks in Alaska’s interior has two Goldilocks factors: the accessibility of an international airport and a location in the center of the auroral oval. The Fairbanks tourism board estimates that travelers who spend three nights in the city during the prime season have at least a 90 percent chance of catching the northern lights.
Although Fairbanks isn’t a large city (the population hovers around 30,000 people), it’s bright enough that seeing the lights can be challenging from downtown. To increase the odds, travelers should get outside the city limits and seek higher ground. Murphy Dome, Haystack Mountain, the Chena Lakes Recreation Area, and Wickersham Dome are good places to see the lights on your own.
If you’re looking to stack the deck, you might consider going out with a guide company. Salmon Berry Tours offers guided tours with hotel pickup, Last Frontier Mushing Co-Op offers the chance to see the aurora from the basket of a dog sled, and AK River Tours takes anglers out to wait for the aurora from an ice fishing hut.
Where to stay: Borealis Basecamp
- Book now: borealisbasecamp.net
One of the best places to stay is Borealis Basecamp, which offers geodesic igloo accommodations with clear domes, as well as modern cube-shaped cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows. Both allow guests to watch the solar show from bed.
There are plenty of accommodations in Fairbanks, including Chena Hot Springs Resort, Aurora Borealis Lodge, and Aurora Villa. They’re more removed from light pollution, so the likelihood of seeing the lights is higher.
There isn’t much going on in Coldfoot, Alaska, and that’s a good thing for northern-lights viewing.
Photo by Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Coldfoot
A bit farther north in central Alaska is Coldfoot, which started as a gold-mining settlement. Eventually, it became a ghost town. Since the construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, it’s basically become a rest stop on the Dalton Highway, and today, its so-called city center is an airstrip, a post office, a trooper outpost, and a gas station that doubles as a modest diner.
But considering it’s located at 67° north (above the Arctic Circle) and there’s no ambient light, it’s a primo spot for catching the undulating ribbons of luminescence, even just from the windows of your lodging. Visitors can either make the long drive or catch a bush plane from Fairbanks. (Northern Alaska Tour Company offers daily flights.)
Where to stay: Coldfoot Camp and Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge
- Book now: Coldfoot Camp | Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge
Coldfoot Camp offers suitable, albeit barebones, rooms. For something more luxe, Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge is in the nearby Gates of the Arctic National Park.
Talkeetna and Denali National Park
It’s not uncommon to see the northern lights during the bookend days of the summer season in Denali National Park. The problem seeing them there in the winter is a logistical one: Much of the community goes dark after the last busload of tourists leaves the park for the season. There’s a grocery store in the nearby town of Healy (15 minutes north of the park entrance), but that’s about it. No hotels or restaurants operate during the colder months.
Unless you’re a skilled winter camper or able to score a coveted spot at Sheldon Chalet (a mountain hotel 10 miles from the summit of Denali), you’ll have better luck trying to search the sky from Talkeetna, a quirky little hamlet (the show Northern Exposure was based on it) that sits halfway between Anchorage and Denali National Park.
Where to stay: Talkeetna Roadhouse, Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, and Denali Overlook Inn
For lodging, Talkeetna Roadhouse, Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, and Denali Overlook Inn are perennial favorites for locals and visitors. Aurora Dora does photography expeditions at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge if you’re interested in going on a tour.
Head to the Winterlake Lodge on the Iditarod Trail for some prime auroral shows.
Courtesy of Winterlake Lodge
Utqiagvik and Nome
Alaska’s most rural communities aren’t easy to reach: more than 200 towns in Alaska’s bush don’t have roads connecting them, so it’s only possible to get there by plane, ATV, hiking, or dogsled. But given how remote they are, they’re worth the trek because the northern lights don’t have to compete with artificial ones.
Formerly known as Barrow, Utqiagvik is the northernmost city in North America. At 71° north, the city doesn’t see the sun for 67 days each winter. Be sure to ask your hotel (Top of the World Hotel is popular) to give you a wake-up call if the lights appear.
Another city with good aurora borealis displays is Nome. Situated on the western coast, the town is also known as the spot where the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race finishes.
Where to stay: Winterlake Lodge
- Book now: Eleven Winterlake Lodge
For a really far-flung experience, consider Eleven Winterlake Lodge. Formerly a trapper’s cabin (also located on the Iditarod Trail), it’s now a swanky backcountry retreat. Guests there spend their days heli-skiing and dog mushing in the Alaska Range before finding a window seat for the solar spectacle.
If you’d prefer to stay in Utqiagvik or Nome, Top of the World Hotel is a popular hotel in former, while accommodations in Nome include Aurora Inn & Suites, Dredge 7 Inn.
This article originally appeared online in March 2022; it was most recently updated on January 16, 2025, to include current information.
