We traveled to Fairbanks at the end of October with one purpose: to see the phenomenal aurora borealis. But one mistake was enough to ruin all our northern lights viewing plans.
Last updated: December 17, 2025
Chasing the Northern Lights in Fairbanks
“You should’ve taken an aurora borealis tour.” It’s probably the most common response I get when I admit that after so much planning, researching, and calculating, we didn’t see the northern lights during our 3-day visit to Fairbanks.
Located right under the auroral oval, Fairbanks is one of the best places on Earth to see the aurora borealis. The dancing lights brighten the dark skies above the city and its surrounding areas for nearly nine months. The main prerequisite to witness the northern lights is the clear sky, which in Fairbanks happens often, but not always.
We did and didn’t have it during our short trip to Interior Alaska. And since we didn’t get a chance to feast our eyes on the dancing lights, our almost winter adventure (according to Alaska’s schedule) could be considered a failure. Except it wasn’t.
Aurora or no aurora, the city is a sweet little dot on the massive Alaska map with its own culture and unique beauty along its snow-dusted trails in moose-inhabited forests.
What Is the Aurora Borealis?
The aurora borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights, is a remarkable natural light display created when the sun’s charged particles interact with atmospheric gases.
The particles are attracted by the Earth’s magnetic field toward the opposite poles where they collide with oxygen and nitrogen. In the process of this collision, the sun’s particles acquire a distinctive glow that to the human eye looks like green, blue, purple, red, and pink.
Similar phenomenon can be seen at the south pole. Here, however, it’s called the southern lights or aurora australis.
Where Can You See the Northern Lights?
The northern lights are the strongest near the auroral oval, a ring above the Earth’s magnetic north pole.The geographic locations right under this oval witness the dazzling aurora borealis for nearly nine months a year.
The brightest northern lights occur in the sky above Iceland, Swedish Lapland, and northern Norway. In Alaska, the best places to see the aurora borealis are Fairbanks and its surroundings, the Arctic Circle, and Denali National Park.
AURORA BOREALIS MISTAKES: HOW NOT TO CHASE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN FAIRBANKS
1. Skipping an Aurora Tour… I’m Really Not Sure about It
The most obvious aurora viewing mistake in Fairbanks, as any local tour operator would say, is not joining an organized group or private aurora tour. People who’ve lived in the area for years know the exact spots and offer a great deal of recommendations to view and photograph the northern lights.
Yet if I had to start our aurora trip all over again or plan a new one for that matter, I’d still skip a guided tour. First, as our experience showed, no amount of experience can change the weather. If the sky is cloudy or starts dropping snow, even the most experienced aurora guide is helpless.
Price: With that being said, the cost of aurora tours in Fairbanks ranges from $100 to over $300 per person. If you travel with a group, it’s a small investment with really no guarantee of your receiving what you’ve paid for.
A group of people waiting for a Midnight Aurora tour that we encountered at Chena Hot Springs Resort received neither the experience they had hoped for nor full refunds when the northern lights were obscured by cloudy skies and heavy snowfall.
We all were in the same boat, disappointed, but accepting the fact that in the matter of weather, we were powerless. Except that we didn’t lose any money. They did, and quite a lot.
I know I have enough stubbornness or determination, if you wish. So, next time I’m in Fairbanks, the chances are pretty high that I’ll ditch aurora tours again and chase the northern lights unsupervised.
2. Not Spending Enough Nights in Fairbanks
I read everything I possibly could about the aurora borealis, the best time and places to see it prior to our trip to Fairbanks. I even got a wide-angle lens perfect for shooting at low light.
People who were fortunate enough to admire the northern lights in Fairbanks disagreed on many things, but unanimously agreed on one thing: the longer you stay in the area, the more chances you get to see the aurora.
Some common suggestions implied that 3 to 5 nights were sufficient. Since we traveled to Alaska during school time, we decided on 3 nights, hoping for the best, but still accepting the fact that with this time on our hands the chances were lower.
Well, you may see the aurora every night you spend in Fairbanks. Or you may not. While the northern lights adorned the sky above some places around the city during the first two nights, we – relying on the aurora forecast – chased it not far away, but never in the exact spot where it showed up.
During our last night in Fairbanks, with the heavy snow starting right before the darkness descended, there was no aurora viewing for both paid and unpaid northern lights’ chasers.
TIP: With that being said, with 3 nights to see the aurora borealis in Fairbanks, all you do is really try to catch luck by its tail. 5 or more nights will increase your chances drastically.
3. Waiting for the Aurora in One Location
I must confess, I was fretting about driving in Fairbanks. We normally don’t get snow and ice on the roads in Southern California. So without the proper experience and facing the uncertainty that the winter could bestow on you, I avoided driving to a new place at night unless I checked out the area and the road conditions during the daylight.
Considering the short days in winter, I could “cover” only a few places in one day. Other destinations would have to wait for the next day and consequently night.
The night when the aurora borealis was showing off in the Chena River State Recreation Area, we were “confined” to North Pole and Chena Lake where the dazzling phenomenon failed to appear.
4. Overly Relying on Aurora Forecast
Like any weather prediction, the aurora forecast gives you a good idea when and where to look for the northern lights in Fairbanks on a particular night. But the prognoses are exactly what they are, mere estimates that are never 100% precise. While you should always consult them, don’t overly rely on them.
I had been checking the aurora borealis forecast offered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute for weeks before traveling to Alaska. During this entire time, the probability of viewing the northern lights on the nights we were supposed to spend in Fairbanks varied from average to low and below average.
A few days before we took off to the Last Frontier, the aurora forecast looked rather reassuring. Our chances grew to at least average.
Upon the arrival, however, the predictions changed once again. Below average in most areas and low in the Chena Lake Recreation Area, which turned out to be both true and false.
Frankly, at this point, we didn’t even need to be obsessed with the aurora forecast. When the gloomy evening gave way to a starless sky with the whopping delivery of snow, you couldn’t see a thing, even the faintest of the faintest northern lights.
The Best Time to See Northern Lights in Fairbanks
The best time to see the northern lights in Fairbanks is from mid-August to mid-April. The prime viewing window is from 10 pm to 3 am although the aurora borealis can adorn the dark sky above Fairbanks at any time.
The main requirement for better experience and, for that matter, the only possibility to spot the dancing phenomenon is the clear sky. It’s something we couldn’t brag about during our Fairbanks trip.
THE BEST PLACES TO SEE AURORA BOREALIS IN ALASKA
1. Fairbanks
They say you can see the northern lights anywhere in Fairbanks. Although the second largest city in the state, the place is relatively small compared to its other mainland’s counterparts and doesn’t have a lot of light pollution. Yet if you can pick an ideal viewing spot, choose a destination with less light disturbances such as Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.
2. North Pole
A small town of North Pole is located approximately 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks. It’s known for its year-round Christmas traditions and excellent aurora borealis viewing opportunities.
We stayed just on the outskirts of North Pole, in one of the cozy cabins in Frontier Village. With practically no light pollution, the chances of seeing the dancing northern lights were high the first night.
Some dim stars dotted the sky in the evening. And just as we were waiting for them to brighten up, the clouds appeared out of nowhere and, sadly, stole any possibility to see the aurora borealis.
3. Chena Lake Recreation Area
Nestled roughly 20 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Chena Lake is far away enough to offer remarkable opportunities for the aurora viewing. When it shows up, the northern lights are a spectacular sight here. The dazzling green and pink lines (when the aurora is extremely strong) adorn both the sky and reflect off the ice-free lake.
On a cloudy night or early morning similar to the one we spent at the Chena Lake Recreation Area, there is no sign of the northern lights whatsoever.
4. Frontier Village
Staying at a property where you can view the northern lights from your front porch is ideal. The Fairbanks area abounds with cabins and Airbnbs where you can enjoy the spectacular display without driving far or signing up for an aurora tour. Some hotels also boast aurora-view rooms. Be sure to ask for one before booking.
Far more, several official northern lights tours are in essence a gathering at a primary aurora location and waiting for the colorful phenomenon to deck the sky. Sheltered from Alaska’s winter under a roof in a room filled with people eager to see the remarkable sight, a guide – normally an experienced aurora photographer – gives you an overview of the northern lights, the area, and invaluable tips on how to photograph the dancing lights.
The tour normally lasts 5 hours, from 10 pm or midnight until 3-5 am. Five hours to wait for the aurora to adorn the sky is exactly five hours too long when you travel with a kid. So, we skipped the tour, but booked a cabin on Frontier Village Lane where on a clear sky the northern lights render an unmatched display.
During our first night at the cabin, the sky looked promising. With dim stars starting decking the space above us in late evening, we expected a dramatic spectacle. Our host even offered a wake-up call when the aurora borealis would bestow its dance on this tiny corner of Interior Alaska. But within a few short hours, any prospects of seeing the northern lights faded when heavy clouds obscured the sky.
5. Cleary Summit and the Steese Highway
Cleary Summit, located 20 miles northeast of downtown Fairbanks, is considered one of the best places to see the aurora borealis.
At 2,233 feet (680 meters), the place offers the unobstructed views of the northern lights. No wonder, it’s popular with tour operators and aurora chasers that like us decide to search for the remarkable phenomenon on their own.
The Steese Highway leading to the summit is another location to consider. Farther away from the city lights, it has many pull-outs to stop and enjoy the aurora borealis when it festoons the sky.
6. Chena Hot Springs Resort
Roughly one hour away from Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs Resort is famous for three things: a natural hot springs lake, the Aurora Ice Museum, and excellent aurora borealis viewings. When the sky above our Airbnb near Fairbanks had been slowly getting covered by clouds the night before, the aurora borealis did dance above Chena Hot Springs Resort.
The following night, with the heavy snowfall on the agenda, none of these locations gave even the slightest hope of catching a glimpse of the northern lights.
7. Chena Hot Springs Road
We skipped guided aurora tours at Chena Hot Springs Resorts as well. As it turned out this decision was rewarding as none of those who had signed up for the tour witnessed the elusive phenomenon that night.
Things to Know: Fairbanks aurora tour operators normally don’t offer full refunds if the northern lights don’t bother to show up. You may have an option to reschedule for another night or get a partial refund.
Our plan was to wait at Chena Hot Springs Resort for a few hours and then head back to North Pole, keeping our eye peeled for the aurora borealis along Chena Hot Springs Road. The area is another favorite for the northern lights viewing. Based on my research, people did see the dancing lights along the road after their unsuccessful aurora viewing tours.
Yet the heavy snow, while a delightful sight on its own, eliminated any chances of the aurora viewing that night. All we saw were hungry moose grazing on remaining patches of grass now dusted with a fresh veil of snow.
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