Country guide ·
2026 Northern Lights in United States (Alaska) — 4 Verified Locations
Fairbanks is North America's easiest aurora flight from the Lower 48 — direct from Seattle and Denver, and right under the auroral oval at 64.8°N. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute runs the world's most-cited aurora forecast, and the surrounding interior is dry and cloud-free far more often than coastal Anchorage or Juneau. The signature North American viewing experience is the Chena Hot Springs outdoor mineral pool — sit in 41°C water under -30°C aurora sky — and the Brooks Range / Dalton Highway corridor offers the highest road-accessible latitude in the United States. Aurora season runs late August through April.
All United States (Alaska) aurora locations
★ 4.6Chena Hot Springs Resort
Chena Hot Springs · Interior Alaska
The iconic 'aurora over hot spring' setup — North America's most-photographed viewing site.
★ 4.5Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks · Interior Alaska
Aurora Capital of America — easiest US city to fly to and reliably see aurora.
★ 4.5Wiseman & Coldfoot
Wiseman · Brooks Range
Highest-latitude road-accessible aurora site in the US — Brooks Range, Dalton Highway.
★ 4.5Borealis Basecamp
Fairbanks (north) · Interior Alaska
Glass-domed igloos 25 miles outside Fairbanks — North America's answer to Kakslauttanen.