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In mid-December, as the Northern Hemisphere approached its shortest and darkest day of the year, Dan and I chose to travel to an unlikely Destination: Fairbanks, Alaska.
The reason? To see the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.
I’d always dreamed of witnessing the world’s greatest light display with my own eyes. And with the ability to fly standby on a moment’s notice due to my airline job, chasing the northern lights in Fairbanks Alaska was both feasible and fairly economical.
The flexibility of flying standby allowed Dan and I to wait around for a weekend with clear skies and a promising Aurora forecast.
When the opportunity arose, wejourneyed northward.
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WHERE TO SEE THE AURORA: FAIRBANKS ALASKA
Alaska is one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis. And the area around Fairbanks—a town smack dab in the middle of the state—is probably the best aurora-viewing place in the United States. (Your chances of seeing the northern lights in Fairbanks are certainly higher than in Anchorage or Juneau).
There are a number of ways to enjoy nature’s best light show around Fairbanks—from tours, to viewing locations, to specially-designed accommodations.
We hedged our bets on seeing the lights at the Chena Hot Springs, since we figured we could at least enjoy the thermal pools if the lights failed to appear.
HEAD TO THE CHENA HOT SPRINGS
In order to increase our chances of seeing the northern lights, Dan and I drove from Fairbanks to the remote Chena Hot Springs Resort. The resort’s thermal pools are a popular place to visit near Fairbanks. The hot springs are especially popular in winter, when many of Alaska’s other natural wonders remain off-limits due to ice, snow and freezing temperatures.
Chena Hot Springs Resort offers lodging, dining, a pool house, and a northern lights viewing room.
The pool house is open daily from 7:00am to 11:45pm. Guests who choose to visit the resort without staying in its rooms can purchase a hot springs pass for $20.
At the Chena Hot Springs, we relished the feeling of relaxing in thermal waters in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a blanket of snow and below-freezing temperatures. Away from the light pollution of the city, we soaked in the warm waters and waited for the Auroral hour to approach.
I can only imagine the magic of viewing the northern lights from within the warmth of the steamy pool.
Unfortunately, we saw little more than a faint green glow, stretching out across the star-speckled sky during our lengthy soak. It wasn’t until our drive back to Fairbanks that we were able to witness the awe-inspiring spectacle with our own eyes.
JOIN A NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR
Fairbanks is the launching place for some of Alaska’s best aurora-viewing tours. Travelers who wish to join organized tours or don’t feel comfortable driving in winter weather can take part in a wide array of organized excursions. One such tour offers the opportunity to view the lights from a rustic cabin in the mountains. Another tour brings adventurous travelers on the Dalton Highway toward the Arctic Circle, while providing opportunities for aurora-viewing along the drive.
There are also dog-sledding aurora tours, photography tours, and tours to Chena that include transport.
OUR EXPERIENCE CHASING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Even with clear skies and a favorable aurora forecast, seeing the northern lights often boils down to luck. I feel fortunate that Dan and I were able to witness the natural light display on our first attempt. Friends and family of ours didn’t get so lucky.
Despite waiting weeks to make sure we visited Alaska when there was a perfect combination of auroral activity and clear skies, it initially looked as though our search for the lights would be to no avail.
We spent our entire evening at the Chena Hot Springs, hoping to see the lights. At about 10 p.m, Dan and I reluctantly left the warm waters of the thermal pool, put on our heaviest jackets and headed toward the Chena Lodge observation room. With dozens of other tourists, we stood staring out the windows–eyes glued to the sky–waiting patiently for the unpredictable and often elusive phenomenon to occur.
It was nearly 2am when we began to succumb to the fact that luck might not be on our side.
So reluctantly, we gathered our belongings and headed toward the car.
About half an hour into our drive back to Fairbanks, however, we decided to give it one more attempt. We parked in the middle of the empty road, turned off the car’s headlights, and looked upward.
And there we saw them. Galloping and darting and flickering about the midnight sky.
We were incredulous. Dumbfounded. Speechless.
As I stood in the middle of a small road and watched the green and purple lights of the Aurora Borealis dance overhead, I remember wondering how I could possibly convey the feeling of witnessing something so beautiful without sounding cliche or trite.
Of all the incredible life experiences that I’d had up to that point, seeing and photographing the northern lights in Fairbanks may have been my most epic.
BEST TIME TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN FAIRBANKS ALASKA
Fairbanks’ low precipitation and clear skies make the Alaskan city one of the world’s best places to see the northern lights. The city sits within the Auroral oval—meaning that when conditions are favorable, the lights are frequently viewable.
Auroral intensity varies from season to season, night to night, and throughout the night. The best time for viewing the northern lights tends to be during the late evening and early morning hours, between 10pm-3am.
The aurora season in Fairbanks extends from September through April, though winter is the best time to visit due to darker skies.
Perfect viewing conditions consist of a new moon, clear skies, and high auroral activity.
UNDERSTANDING THE AURORA FORECAST
Though viewing the aurora is never guaranteed, you’ll have a better chance of seeing the lights if you plan your visit during a period of high activity.
The Geophysical Institute put together a handy forecast tool for the aurora borealis. It measures the auroral activity on a scale from 0-9.
In order to measure the intensity of the lights, the GI Institute uses the Kp-index— a measurement that describes the disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field caused by the solar wind. The faster the solar wind blows, the greater the turbulence. The greater turbulence, the better your chances of seeing a magnificent light show.
Zero means that there is no activity, while 9 indicates an intense solar storm.
While the forecast can be a helpful tool in planning your visit, high activity does not guarantee you’ll see the lights. There are other factors at play here, including moon phase and cloud cover.
When we enjoyed the aurora, the Kp index predicted level 4 intensity.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR FAIRBANKS ALASKA
As Alaska’s second largest city, Fairbanks has a decent selection of hotel offerings that range from budget to luxurious.
Dan and I stayed at Billie’s Backpackers Hostel during our visit. We were on a tight budget and the hotel’s dorm rooms suited our needs (especially since we weren’t planning on spending much time in the rooms).
Other options in town include the Pike’s Waterfront Lodge and the Springhill Suites by Marriott. Most hotels in town offer wakeup calls for the lights, upon request.
Outside of town, your options will be more limited, though better for aurora-viewing. With the ability to rent a car and head beyond the city limits, the Chena Hot Springs Resort would be my top recommendation.
If you have more room in your budget, the Borealis Basecamp promises a phenomenal viewing experience, weather depending. Its glass domes allow for spectacular aurora displays from the comfort of your bed. My in-laws stayed at the Aurora Basecamp and enjoyed their stay, despite the fact that they had overcast weather during their entire visit.
THINGS TO DO IN FAIRBANKS IN WINTER
Fairbanks isn’t the easiest place to visit in winter. The city is so cold that even going outside can be a challenge.
But nevertheless, Fairbanks has a few notable attractions that make visiting the city in winter worthwhile.
After all, seeing the northern lights is never guaranteed, and so planning a vacation entirely around aurora-viewing can be risky.
VISIT THE NORTH POLE
The North Pole is a suburb of Fairbanks and a popular place to visit when traveling to central Alaska. Home to Christmas-themed streets including Santa Claus Lane, St Nicholas Drive and Kris Kringle Drive, it is a fun side-trip from the city, especially if traveling with kids. The most popular place to visit in North Pole is a Santa-themed gift shop full of ornaments and Christmas decorations.
Around the holidays each year, the North Pole’s post office receives thousands of letters from young children hoping to reach Santa with their Christmas wish-lists.
TAKE A STROLL THROUGH PIONEER PARK
Pioneer Park is a popular Fairbanks attraction that is open year-round. The open-air museum park is home to a collection of the city’s oldest homes and storefronts.
When we visited on a December afternoon, we were the only people at the park.
And while our visit was short-lived due to the cold, we enjoyed strolling through the area’s picturesque streets.
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Until my winter trip to Fairbanks, I had shied away from writing about my travels within the United States. Aside from a few posts on the overseas territories, I made the poor decision to skip topics related to my own country. It was a difficult decision, based largely on the fact that I seemed to be playing a never-ending game of catch-up with my blog posts. I needed a way to thin the backlog.
Drawing the line at my own country’s borders and focusing on international travel seemed to be a sensible choice.
But my neglect for my own country ended with this post.
After all, if seeing the northern lights in Alaska is not worthy of its own write-up, then I don’t know what is.
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