As the northernmost state in the US, Alaska is a prime location to see the northern lights! Every year, Alaska experiences aurora season, when the dark skies light up in an array of spectacular colors.
As Alaskan locals, the team at Alaskan Sights and Bites are thrilled to see this phenomenon in our backyard. And as proud leaders of our Guided Anchorage Day Tours, we want to show visitors and locals alike the very best of Alaska!
We’ve created this guide to the best places to see the northern lights in Alaska so you’re guaranteed to witness it on your next visit! Keep reading to learn more, or feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our Anchorage tours.
Where to See the Northern Lights in Alaska
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is frequently ranked as one of the top places to see the northern lights, not just in Alaska, but the world! Located in Interior Alaska and the gateway to the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks offers some of the best sightseeing for the aurora borealis.
With a number of cozy lodges available, you can set yourself up for a night or more to spot the northern lights come out in all their glory. There are also plenty of tour options, from photography excursions to capture the skies to dog sledding beneath the glow of the lights!
Talkeetna
Between Anchorage and Denali, the town of Talkeetna offers a picturesque setting from which to see the northern lights. As a fairly remote area, Talkeetna has little light pollution. With Denali, rushing rivers, and lakes as the backdrop to the aurora borealis, you’ll experience some of the most incredible scenery here. You can rent some cabins here over a period of days and have numerous opportunities to view the northern lights!
Anchorage
Despite being a more dense urban setting, Anchorage can still experience exceptional displays of the northern lights if there is a Kp index of five or higher. So if you’re visiting here and joining one of our tours, you’ll be in for a treat!
There are a number of viewpoints from which you can see the lights in Anchorage, one of the most popular being the Glen Alps Trailhead, less than a 30-minute drive from town. Just outside the airport, Point Woronzof overlooks Cook Inlet and provides stunning panoramas. Further south of town, Beluga Point offers breathtaking vistas that are amplified by the aurora borealis.
Arctic Alaska
For a much more remote experience, you can journey into the Arctic Circle where you are almost guaranteed sightings of the northern lights. From the small town of Coldfoot, you can join a number of excursions to go hunting for the aurora borealis. One of the most unparalleled experiences is to fly by the Brooks Mountain Range and see the northern lights from the sky!
You can read more about what makes Alaska An Undiscovered Vacation Destination for Tourists, including the northern lights and beyond!
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Alaska
Aurora season lasts between August and April when Alaska experiences fewer daylight hours during the winter months. The best times to see the northern lights are typically between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am. For the best chances of seeing the aurora borealis, plan to chase the night skies on a cloudless night!
To learn more about winter in Alaska, you can read our blog: What is the Best Season to Visit Alaska?
How to Plan to See the Northern Lights
If you’re planning to see the northern lights in Alaska, it’s a good idea to book your trip for a few days. This gives you more sightseeing opportunities especially if there is cloud coverage that can obscure the view of the northern lights. You can either base yourself in Anchorage and experience the town and travel to sightseeing locations or book yourself into a lodge for a week up north and see Alaska turn into a winter wonderland.
You can also use the Aurora Forecast ahead of time to see where the northern lights travel and when they will be the most prominent. The Kp index measures the strength of geomagnetic activity on a scale of 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest.
Explore More of Alaska on our Tours
While the northern lights draw visitors from all over the world to Alaska, there is still far more to see and do! At Alaskan Sites and Bites, we offer everything from a Half-Day Anchorage Wildlife Tour to a Spenard Food & True Crime Walking Tour. With cuisine, culture, and natural splendor all on the table, we can’t wait to welcome you to Anchorage! If you have any questions before your visit, feel free to get in touch with our team.
