12 Epic Northern Lights Viewing Spots in the US
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You do not have to fly to Finland, Norway, or Sweden to see the northern lights. The United States has some of the world’s best northern lights viewing destinations; you just have to know where to go and when to do it.
Choose a destination, follow the forecasts, and plan a trip to the following northern lights viewing destinations in the United States. With good weather conditions, clear skies, luck, and persistence, you could enjoy the Aurora borealis spectacles just like in Norway or Sweden.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights, with an average visibility of 200 nights per year. The best chances of seeing them are between late August and mid-April, although if you are lucky, they can also be spotted during shoulder seasons.
Fairbank lies at a latitude of 64.8 degrees north, which places it well within the auroral oval, enhancing the chances. According to the Fairbanks Tourism Board, if you are in Fairbanks for three nights and are actively chasing the northern lights, you have a 90% chance of witnessing them.
Some of the best viewings in and around the city include Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, Chena Lake Recreation Area, along Steese Highway, and Murphy Dome.
When visiting, watch the daily updates done by The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska; they provide real-time aurora forecasts and other helpful resources for aurora watchers.
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Denali National Park, Alaska
Denali National Park is another excellent destination with a high chance of spotting aurora borealis, especially in winter. This park is remotely located and has minimal light pollution, enhancing the chances of seeing the lights dancing across the sky. Besides, this park has vast open spaces offering unobstructed sky views.
You will also like how the natural beauty of this park compliments the viewing experience of northern lights. The vast wilderness, towering mountains (including North America’s highest peak), and tundra landscapes provide a picturesque backdrop for aurora viewing and photography. Denali National Park has designated aurora viewing areas offering the best views; guided tours can help you quickly access the best viewing spots.
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Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska and, therefore, more light-polluted than other remote locations. However, this does not cancel the chances of spotting the lights; it leaves you with a decent chance. While it is a great viewing destination for explorers who want to avoid digging into the most interior locations, it is safe to use experienced guides.
You could drive to nearby places like Chugach State Park, Eagle River Nature Center, and Hatcher Pass, which provide better opportunities for aurora viewing away from city lights.
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Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
If you are after unbeatable dark skies, a great place to try in the contiguous US would be Voyageurs National Park. DarkSky International even recognized it for its impeccable dark-sky spaces, which enhance your chances of spotting the lights. The auroral oval tends to tilt in favor of the Great Lakes region, like in northern Minnesota, making this a great destination to chase the lights.
The park’s interconnected waterways, like Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, and Namakan Lake, provide stunning natural scenery and tranquil surroundings for daytime exploration and nighttime stargazing. When visiting, you may want to keep an eye on a Facebook group called “Great Lakes Aurora Hunters,” where locals, guides, and tourists share updates on the northern lights.
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Acadia National Park, Maine
Maine is the northernmost state in the contiguous U.S., which automatically makes it one of the best places in the country to catch the northern lights. Besides, it is the most forested state in the U.S., with close to 90% of it covered in forests.
This means that light pollution is incredibly low here, enhancing the chances of the northern lights appearing. One of the best viewing places in the state would be Acadia National Park, thanks to its remote location, vast unobstructed spaces, and magical backdrop for sky viewing.
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
There is a fair chance of spotting the northern lights in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. While they do not appear regularly, when they do, you will have a good opportunity because of the minimal light pollution and remote location. The park’s expansive grounds and wide-open spaces offer unobstructed night sky views, enhancing the aurora viewing experience.
When visiting, a good resource for northern lights hunting would be The North Dakota Aurora Camera, consisting of a sky-facing and north-facing camera. It is located in the state’s Marten Observatory and sends updates on X (Twitter) and Youtube Livestream when the northern lights are detected.
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Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier National Park is known for offering perfect, calm places to settle in and watch the northern lights. There is a high chance of spotting them during the long, dark winter nights; you just need to know the best places within the park.
One of your best bets would be around Lake McDonald, where you can watch the lights on the clear skies and their reflection on the calm waters. Bowman and Kinta Lakes, Looking Glass Road, and the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park are other great places to catch views of the lights.
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Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Isle Royale National Park benefits from its remote location close to Lake Superior, which shields it from significant light pollution, creating ideal conditions for aurora viewing. Also, Lake Superior is the northernmost of the Great Lakes, making its surroundings one of the best to catch the lights.
Remember, the more north you go, the better your chances of viewing the lights. When visiting, stand by the southern shores of Lake Superior to view the northern horizon for the best experience.
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Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is 87,564 acres, and within this vastness, there are neither commercial power sources nor electric-powered lights operated during the night. The park is so dark it was the first to be declared an International Dark Sky Place in Maine and New England.
While its location in northern Maine is a top contributor, the park’s lack of light pollution increases one’s chances of experiencing the northern lights. The monument’s pristine wilderness areas, scenic waterways, and rugged terrain offer spectacular natural scenery from which to view the northern lights.
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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
At 13.1 million acres, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is over twice as large as Denali National Park. If you would like to go to the most interior wildernesses of Alaska, then it would be in this park.
This park offers an excellent opportunity to view aurora borealis from dusk until dawn, as long as the skies are dark. The best hours are, however, between midnight and 3 am, from September through April.
Just beware: this park is very remote and has minimal development. While these are desirable factors for viewing the northern lights, they mean navigation in the park would not be easy. Unless you are experienced and confident in your skills, you’re better off using guided excursions.
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Panhandle National Forests, Idaho and Washington
The Panhandle National Forests has a 5,000-mile open space that offers unobstructed sky views. Forget the worry of buildings and trees obstructing the view; just lay down on your mat and admire the dancing lights across the sky. As if this were not enough, the forest has several lakes that offer tranquility and wide horizons to view the lights. Some of the best spots would be Priest Lake, Revett Lake, and Lake Pend Oreille.
Get forecasts from the ranger’s office before going by the lakes to enjoy the view of lights in the sky and their reflections on the calm waters.
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Cook County, Minnesota
Being one of the northernmost states, Minnesota also offers excellent opportunities to catch and view the northern lights. Hunting for northern lights is pretty accessible in Cook County; many do it without a guide. The county has a dedicated website where explorers can download driving routes leading to the best viewing points.
If you are from Minnesota or want to see aurora borealis in Cook County, some of the best locations include Devilfish Lake, McFarland Lake, Elbow Lake, Thompson, Gunflint Hills Golf Course, Cascade Lake, and Eagle Mountain Trailhead.
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Georgia Konidari is a nationally syndicated writer and the creator of World Wild Schooling, a digital platform dedicated to travel. She is on a mission to explore the globe and share her experiences with fellow travelers. She is regularly featured on MSN, the Associated Press Wire, and more. You can follow Georgia on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
