Seeking the northern lights in Fairbanks

The shape-shifting waves of the northern lights were spotted as far south as North Carolina and Arizona in 2023. And this winter could be gearing up for even more spectacular displays at southerly latitudes as we approach the solar maximus—the end of an 11-year cycle where strong geomagnetic storms are more likely. For all that auroral action, however, the Arctic Circle-hugging state of Alaska is still the most dramatic and reliable place in the U.S. to see the northern lights.

Deep in the 49th state’s Interior, and the only large settlement for hundreds of miles, Fairbanks sits at a latitude of 65 degrees, putting it in prime clear-sky position under the auroral oval—the band around the North Pole where the northern lights are most likely to occur. 

In fact, it’s one of the most reliable places in the U.S. to see this bucket-list light show: They say that if you stay in Fairbanks for three days, you have a 90% chance of seeing the aurora.

Home to a top-of-the-world cast of frontier characters—miners and dog-sledders, ice-road truckers and bush pilots—it’s also a thriving student city. University of Alaska Fairbanks’s Geophysical Institute is one of the world’s foremost aurora research centers and handily puts out an excellent aurora forecast. Plus, the Alaska Range Overlook high up at the university campus is one of the top spots in town to see the northern lights. More unique, though, is to soak up the spectacle in the geothermal waters that bubble up at Chena Hot Springs, a little over an hour east.  

Beyond the night lights, Fairbanks is the ideal basecamp for striking out into some of Alaska’s most expansive wilderness. Denali National Park & Preserve is only a two-hour drive south, for winter cross-country skiing and snowshoeing through some of its incredible six million acres. Elsewhere, with thick snow blanketing the landscape, dog mushing is a serious pursuit. Each February, Fairbanks is the start or end point for the epic Yukon Quest, which follows hundreds of sled dogs and their mushers as they race 1,000 miles across the old transportation “highways” of the northern frontier. 

Dog sledding was an integral part of life for the Athabascans, the Alaska Native peoples who have lived in the Interior for centuries, and some of those communities also believed that the northern lights were the spirits of animals they’d hunted, such as moose, salmon, seals, and beluga whales. Today, discover more about Athabascan culture during February’s Festival of Native Arts, which showcases Alaska Native dance, song and art. And the World Ice Art Championships (February to March) sees some of the best sculptors chiseling intricate animals and giant mythical creatures out of millions of pounds of ice, turning Fairbanks into even more of a frozen fantasyland. 

Your Fairbanks itinerary

Day 1

Where to stay

There are a number of big chain hotels in downtown Fairbanks, but Pike’s Waterfront Lodge is a charming choice on the river walk near the airport. For a room with a view head further out to Borealis Basecamp and spend the night in one of their geodesic igloos surrounded by boreal forest.

Pike’s Waterfront Lodge

1850 Hoselton Rd, Fairbanks, AK, 99709

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10am

Start with some sledding

Learn to mush on a dog-sledding trip (pictured) in North Pole—the Alaskan town, not the North Pole—just south of Fairbanks.

12.30pm

Reheat and refuel

Warm up with a hearty halibut corn chowder at The Chowder House. 

2:30pm

Hit the shops

Pick up some more locally made treats at The Roaming Root Cellar and Alaska Feed Company.

6pm

Tuck into traditional dishes

Channel the gold rush era at The Pump House Restaurant & Saloon, which dishes up fresh steamed clams with reindeer sausage and blackened Alaskan halibut in its Victorian-style dining room.

8pm

Now it’s just you and the northern lights

Chase the aurora on a local-led tour that will take you far away from the lights-spotting crowds.

Day 2

9:30am

Coffee’s up

Grab a cinnamon roll and coffee made with single-origin beans at local micro-roastery Alaska Coffee Roasting.

10am

Get hooked on ice-fishing

The early bird catches their own lunch with a guided ice-fishing tour in a heated cabin on the Chena River—finishing with a fish cookout.

3pm

Raise a glass to the local drinks

Discover Fairbanks’s growing craft drink scene with a sip trip through vodka made from Yukon Gold potatoes at Fairbanks Distilling Company, Earl Grey vodka martinis at Hoarfrost, HooDoo Brewing Co’s creamy oatmeal stout, and Latitude 65 Brewing’s crisp Midnight Currant Cider.

5pm

Soak as you watch the skies

Spot the aurora in your swimsuit in the geothermal pools at Chena Hot Springs.

Day 3

10am

Just Ski-Doo it

Hop aboard a guided snowmobile tour across the Alaska Pipeline and through snow-covered forests, spotting moose and snowshoe hares.

1pm

Stop for a superior sandwich

Great Harvest Bread Co fresh mill their own flour for their loaves each day, and it makes well-stuffed sandwiches—try the Denali Cobb.

3pm

Who’s for some history?

The sweeping, angular architecture of the University of Alaska Museum of the North (pictured) is inspired by glaciers and the aurora. Inside, marvel at thousands of years of Alaska Native art and a mummified Ice Age steppe bison.

6pm

Feast on fusion cuisine

Thai food takes an Alaskan twist at Lemongrass, with curried red Alaskan king crab and sockeye salmon pad thai.

9pm

Let there be lights

Seek a front-row seat for the northern lights by driving towards the Chena Lake Recreation Area—turn your headlights off when you pull over to get the best view.

Fiona Kerr

Writer

Fiona Kerr is a food-loving travel journalist and former features director at Condé Nast Traveller. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Elle Decoration and The New York Times. When she gets to a new country, her first stop is usually the local supermarket.