In our last post about vacationing in Alaska, we talked about things to do and see in the Fairbanks area. However, we neglected to mention one of the main nighttime attractions—the Northern Lights. Many people from all over the world travel to Fairbanks, AK to see these brilliant displays of green, yellow, red, and even purple hues that paint the Alaskan night sky.
Fairbanks is considered to be one of the premier destinations to view the Northern Lights due to the frequency and intensity of its display from this area. In fact, visitors who come to Fairbanks have an 80 percent chance of seeing the Northern Lights if they stay at least three nights. However, because clear skies and darkness is essential to seeing the Northern Lights, it is always somewhat of a gamble with Mother Nature.
The best months to see Alaska’s yellow-green Northern Lights from Fairbanks are late August through April from the late evening hours to the early portions of the morning. One of the distinct features of the Northern Lights in Fairbanks is the aurora oval—a ring-shaped region of the Northern Lights. The aurora oval is located directly above the Fairbanks area and offers visitors a dazzling nighttime display.
Like in our last Fairbanks post, we recommend that you take advantage of Alaska RV rentals when traveling to Fairbanks. You can find several RV parks in the Fairbanks area, and depending on where you stay, you may even be able to see the Northern lights from your motorhome rental in Alaska. And if you can’t see the green, yellows, and other colors from your RV, you can likely find another place to view them nearby.
Many people like to see the Northern Lights during a late-night horse-drawn sleigh ride or from up above on a chartered flight above the Arctic Circle. Couples traveling alone in Alaska may just want to find a place where you can get a panoramic view of the lights and Alaskan landscape. Then, you can snuggle together under a warm blanket, drink some hot chocolate, and watch the greens and yellows dance across the night sky. The Northern Lights typically take place about 68 miles above the earth’s surface, but sometimes come as close as 40 miles. To get a Northern Lights forecast, you can check out the Geophysical Aurora Institute’s daily forecast online.
If you ever want to experience this once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, you should definitely check out traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska. Witnessing the beauty of the Northern Lights is not your run-of-the-mill vacation activity and will be one you can remember for years to come.
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