How to See the Northern Lights with Kids in Fairbanks, Alaska

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My family traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska with a shared goal in mind: see the northern lights! It’s not like we could guarantee a sighting of this natural phenomenon, so it was an exciting treasure hunt of sorts. Although the weather wasn’t on our side our first few days in Fairbanks, we luckily experienced a SHOW on our last night in town!

The naturally occurring aurora borealis can be an elusive sight, but with some advance preparation and reasonable expectations (for both adults, and the kids), you can increase your chances of seeing this magical wonder. Here’s are my best tips based on what I learned from our research and experience of chasing the northern lights in Fairbanks, Alaska.

What are the northern lights, and what does the aurora actually look like?

The northern lights occur from energized particles from the sun, which then cause particles in the earth’s atmosphere to express them as the northern lights. Chances are, if your kid has seen a certain movie involving two sisters and a lot of ice, they’ll have seen depictions of the northern lights, but here are great videos that explain some traditional and scientific origins for the aurora (and we can email you more!).

The photos we see of the aurora borealis display vivid streaks of green, purple, and red across a dark sky. In real life, that’s not often what you can see with the naked eye. This video breaks it down really well by describing the different ways we experience the aurora with our own eyes, from very faint to a disco in the sky! During our visit, the aurora mostly looked to us like wispy, fast-moving, grey smoke clouds. Definitely not what we were expecting!

On our second night, we could see more green with our naked eyes, but the longer shutter speeds on cameras (I used my iPhone!) captured some really neat colors!

Before You Go

Temper your expectations
Chasing naturally occurring phenomenon like eclipses and the northern lights are never a “for sure” thing, so be sure to keep that in mind when planning a trip with your family. It’s easy to get riled up and excited, but if the conditions aren’t right, then it can lead to feelings of disappointment.
Go during the right season
Aurora season in Fairbanks lasts from end of August 21 to April 21. While the northern lights are always active, the conditions that allow us to see them are not always on our side. From August to April, there are more night hours and darker skies, which are ideal aurora viewing conditions.
If I were to ever plan another trip to Alaska (which I hope to!), I’d love to try visiting in the late summer/early fall when cruises are still in season but the aurora is also visible. Wouldn’t that be something!
Stay for at least three nights
Apparently, in Fairbanks you have an 80% chance of seeing the aurora just by attempting to catch a glimpse of it three nights in a row! We definitely experienced this, as the our first night was to0 snowy, the second night mostly cloudy with patches of clear, and the third night crystal clear even though the forecast was cloudy! Based on some video footage during our week in Alaska, it looked like there were light shows at least every four days.

What to Pack

Lots of layers!
Blanket for the car
Snacks for the waiting game
Download your kid’s favorite books and podcasts to keep them entertained during the inevitable waiting game

Tips for Seeing the Aurora Borealis in Fairbanks, Alaska with Your Family

Fairbanks is only one of many areas in the world from which to see the northern lights. We chose Fairbanks from Angel’s family’s recommendation and because the flights from SFO were decently priced for spring break.

Book a Tour

Tours are a great way to have a guided experience of the aurora without having to rent a car, and there are a ton of operators in Fairbanks and the surrounding areas. They boast comfy pick-ups, warm waiting areas, and knowledgeable guides in some beautiful viewpoints. I really wanted to go on this combo ice fishing and aurora tour, but I was wary about shelling out $150 per adult when the nights weren’t guaranteed to be clear of clouds.

Book a Hotel with Aurora Viewing Experiences

Borealis Basecamp is the place to see the northern lights. Located north of Fairbanks, the resort’s rows of domed igloo-like cabins are set facing north, with clear ceilings to see the northern lights while you lie warm in bed. They also give you a wake up call when the northern lights are out! While pricey, Angel and her family tried staying here and loved it!

Many people also decide to stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort east of Fairbanks.

I would’ve personally loved to have booked a cabin in the mountains but with a clear view of the skyline so that we could view the lights from the comfort of our accommodations!

Rent a Car and Go It On Your Own

If you decide not to book a tour or stay at a hotel that offers aurora sightings, great! You’re saving a little cash and probably raring for some adventure. With a little extra research and preparation (such as renting a car), you’ll be set up for success. See below for our tips on chasing the aurora with your family!

How to Chase the Aurora in Fairbanks, Alaska with Your Family

Here are some tips that helped our family chase the aurora on our own time.

Decide on a Lookout Point

I wanted to find a viewing point that wasn’t too crowded, had reduced light pollution but wasn’t a trek from our accommodations, and which gave us an unobstructed area from which to view the lights. I referenced this super helpful map when deciding on a location.

We ruled out Cleary Summit, Murphy Dome, etc. to avoid the crowds, and ended up at the pullout on Nordale Road, which was only about a 20-minute drive from downtown Fairbanks. Nordale ended up being a beautiful, wide, and uncrowded spot (there was only one other car there). While the headlights of the occasional oncoming car were slightly annoying, it actually provided some lighting to our photos! On the recommendation of a local, we had also tried the pullout at Old Murphy Dome Road and Spinach Creek Road, but found there to be too many trees obstructing our view of the skyline. If we had another night I would’ve loved to try viewing from Olnes Pond.

Be sure to join our newsletter and comment “Alaska” for a map of these spots!

Keep an Eye on the Weather

You need clear skies to see the aurora, and darker, moonless skies are even better for contrast against the glow. Check the forecast to see what the cloud coverage will be like during the coming evenings.

At the same time, take the weather forecast with a grain of salt. On some cloudy nights, there will be patches or moments of clear, however fleeting. If the aurora is particularly active, 10 minutes is all you need!

I loved keeping an eye out for the aurora on these live feeds from the Poker Flat camera run by the University of Alaska and the Aurora Ridge Cabin, and then seeing time lapses of the evening’s show (here was ours!)!

Bundle Up

You’ll notice that aurora season falls in the winter and adjacent months. Even in April, temperatures were still in the 30s Fahrenheit, so especially for Bay Area families like ours who hardly ever experience real “cold,” it was frigid! We each wore many layers, had a blanket for the car, and donned our jackets, ski masks, beanies, and favorite reusable hand-warmers whenever we took a peek outside.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

The first night we attempted an aurora sighting, we parked in at a pullout on Old Murphy Dome Road. There was cloud cover that night, so very little visibility, until we spotted some patches of clear around 1:30 a.m. As we were looking up at the Big Dipper through the moon roof of our rental car, my kid asked, “are those the lights?” as she pointed up to some fast-moving gray clouds. None of us were sure, so I picked up my phone, pointing it up to the clouds. Sure enough, we could see the green glow of the aurora in the phone camera! This only lasted about 10 minutes before the clouds came back for the night. The aurora is a great reminder to live in the moment, as it can be so fleeting!

On our second night, we could see the aurora from our car as we began to drive away from the bright lights of town.

Be Considerate

Alaska is wild, but you still have to demonstrate some consideration when you’re at night. When approaching a site, try to safely keep your headlights down, especially once you see other people and cars. And definitely don’t block anyone’s driveway or trespass. Also try to pull off from the road as fully and safely as you can. It started to snow as we were making our way up a hill which made for a challenging drive!

We are still reeling from our trip to Alaska and that we had the opportunity to witness the northern lights in full swing on the final evening of our trip. In recounting our first night of seeing the aurora, our kid excitedly told our family that she was the first one to spot them, and she even drew pictures of herself watching the lights. This is definitely a top travel experience and will go down in our personal history books!

I hope you and your family have an opportunity to view the aurora borealis! Let us know if you have any questions or additional tips in the comments below.

Angelica

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Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.