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When to Go

Because Alaska is so enormous, each region experiences a different climate, and seasons come and go at different times of the year. In summer the sun does not set for more than 2½ months in Barrow, north of the Arctic Circle. Even as far south as Juneau, you can see a glow of summertime twilight in the sky at midnight. In winter the situation is reversed, and the sun does not rise for more than two months in Alaska's northernmost regions. Anchorage gets about 5½-6 hours of daylight in mid-December.

Alaska is not a land of perpetual ice and snow—much of the state is snow-free during those long summer days. With fair weather comes an onslaught of tourists and peak-season prices. Summer, particularly late June through July, brings on plagues of mosquitoes. July and August are also the rainiest months throughout South Central and Interior Alaska. Fortunately, in perpetually wet Southeast Alaska, these months are the driest portion of the year. To avoid the summer crowds and prices, go during spring or fall.

Winter is the season for skiing, sledding, ice-skating, dog mushing, ice fishing, and other sports. The long nights are also ideal for viewing the northern lights (the aurora borealis). To see the aurora borealis you need a dark night with clear skies, distance from city lights, and sufficient solar activity to set off the stunning drapes of color that dance across the sky. Total darkness means you won't see them in the summer, clear skies usually imply cold temperatures, distance from city lights means you can't sit around your Anchorage hotel room waiting for something to appear, and the whole solar activity thing is a matter of luck. Your best bet is a fall or winter night outside of Fairbanks; Chena Hot Springs Resort is our recommendation for best viewing.