Getting a chance to experience the Northern Lights in Alaska are undoubtedly on everyone’s bucket list. Watching the sky light up shades of green, purple, and pink and dance around you is something that is indescribable to those who haven’t experienced it. While there are many places in the world to plan seeing the Northern Lights, I found Alaska to be the perfect location. It’s easy to get to from the US and Canada, there are no shortage of guides to lead your trip, and the lights put on a spectacular show. Here are six tips for seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska!
Time your visit
As everyone knows, the Northern Lights are a winter phenomenon. To view them, you have to go as far North as possible and to a location where there are few clouds. Enter: Alaska. On my trip to Iceland in November, I was certain that I was going to see the Northern Lights. However, we ended up striking out due to heavy cloud coverage, something that I found out after the fact was a big risk in Iceland. Of course you run that risk anywhere, but Fairbanks is ranked as one of the best places in the world for seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska (but also the world!).
You’ll want to time your visit as best as you can. The official Aurora season runs from August – April. However, the closer you can get away from the bookends of that range, the better chance you have! To maximize your chances, I’d recommend staying a minimum of 3 nights in the city of Fairbanks. I visited in late September and two out of three nights were too cloudy for any viewing. Luckily on the third night we were there, the clouds opened up and we got a spectacular show. You can’t predict mother nature so best to give as much time as you can!
Book a tour
While it is possible to see the Northern Lights in Alaska on your own, going with an expert will only increase your chances! We booked the Aurora Viewing Tour at the Chena Hot Springs. Only about an hour drive outside of Fairbanks, we found the Chena Hot Springs to be the perfect place to see the Northern Lights in Alaska.
The Aurora tours book up quickly, so you’ll want to book at least a few weeks ahead of time. We took a look at the long-range forecast and as soon as that was available (and we saw a relatively positive forecast), we pulled the trigger. The group leaves from the activities center at 9:30 pm and returns at about 3:00 am. It’s a long night, but so worth it! You ride in SUSV trucks for about 20-30 minutes to the top of the mountain. As soon as we stepped out, we could see the bright green aurora lighting the sky! At the top, there are yurts to warm up in that provide snacks and hot drinks. When the aurora starts dancing, the guides will notify the people inside the yurt so you never miss out on a great show!
Read More: How to Spend a Fall Day at Chena Hot Springs
Caffeinate!
This should come as no surprise, but watching the aurora makes for a LONG night. The best chances to see the lights are in the early hours of the morning, so you may be outside for hours waiting, and then another few hours admiring the lights. You will need to caffeinate!
You’re going to want to caffeinate beforehand, and also bring some with you to drink during the night. No matter where you’re viewing the Northern Lights in Alaska, it’s going to be rural. So you will need to pack and plan! We stopped at a Starbucks earlier in the afternoon on our ride up to Chena Hot Springs and ordered several large cups of our favorite drinks. We then filled up as many thermoses as we could find to bring with us on the tour. And we’re so glad we did! Not only did it give us a jolt of energy, but it helped warm us up when we were out in the freezing cold night.
Dress warmer than you think
Dress as warm as you think you do. Then add layers.
I cannot stress enough how cold we got on our tour seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska! I’m from Buffalo, NY so my blood is pretty thick. I dressed for winter, but didn’t go overboard. I thought I’d be fine. Oh boy was I wrong! This was a cold like no other- it chills right through to your bones. And the worst part is, you’re out there for hours! I hated that I had to go into the yurt to warm up and miss valuable aurora times. Do yourself a favor and dress as warm as you can so you can maximize Northern Lights time!
Adjust your camera settings beforehand
If you’re shooting with a manual camera, this is something you’re going to want to do before you arrive. For one, it’s pitch black out when you arrive, so you won’t be able to easily adjust your settings. Secondly, you’re not going to want to spend your time fidgeting with your camera instead of enjoying the beautiful aurora!
There are plenty of guides online on how to set your camera settings, and I am not going to pretend to be a photography expert. However, I set my camera to a shutter speed of 10-12 seconds, aperture as low as it could go (f/2.8 for my camera), and ISO of at least 4000. Of course you can use these as a base and trial/error based on how bright the lights are or other factors, but these settings should be a good starting point.
If you’re shooting on an iPhone, you’ll want to turn on “Night Mode” and crank the timer up as high as it can go (if it’s pitch black out, it should go as high as 30 seconds). I’d also recommend using a remote shutter, if possible, to reduce movement. That tiny click of your thumb onto the shutter can move your camera just enough to make a photo blurry. There are a lot of cheap ones available on Amazon!
Tip: for long exposure shots, it’s imperative to remember your tripod!
Practice your selfies!
As with anything, practice makes perfect! I unfortunately didn’t practice ahead of time, so I hate most of the pictures I got with me and the Northern Lights in Alaska. Once you have your camera settings locked in, practice clicking the shutter and holding perfectly still for up to 15 seconds. It sounds easy, but it is not! The slightest movement will get picked up and cause a blur. I’d recommend putting your hands in your pockets to minimize movement and give them a place to rest still. No matter what you do, take a few practice shots the night before or earlier in the day to know what you’re in for!
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