Hello - hoping to visit Alaska end of August/beginning of September.
Which area is better for viewing the northern lights, Anchorage or Fairbanks?
Any recommendations on lodging in either area would be greatly appreciated too. Love the outdoors so anything woodsy/forestry and/or near water would be great.
Thank you!
J Joel
Alaska - Anchorage or Fairbanks for viewing Northern Lights?
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I googled "seeing northern lights in Alaska" and found this:
The Northern Lights can be seen to some extent anywhere above 60 degrees north latitude. At 65 degrees, Fairbanks is within the so-called "aurora oval," the area where Northern Lights occur most often and are brightest. In fact, the Fairbanks Visitors Bureau says you have an 80 percent chance of seeing them if you stay there for three nights.
Denali, at 63 degrees north, is also a good spot to view the Northern Lights. Other Alaska places are far enough north for good for viewing, but are hard to get to and offer fewer accommodations. The next-best options are Nome (64 degrees) and Anchorage (61 degrees). However, the Northern Lights can sometimes be seen as far south as Juneau or Sitka.
That said, the days are still pretty long in Fairbanks in August/September; sunset isn't until after 9 PM and the twilight can persist until close to 11 or midnight. You don't even get "astronomical twilight" (dark enough for astronomers) until the middle of the month.
Come back in February, another story.
Northern lights are better in Fairbanks but in the winter