---
title: Alaska's Northern Lights Season Is Underway, With Strong Aurora Activity Expected for Years
description: Alaska's aurora season runs late August to late April. Why activity stays strong after the solar maximum, and four new ways to see it this winter.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-10-02T11:08:48.620Z
updated: 2026-10-02T11:08:48.630Z
canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/alaska-northern-lights-season-new-lodges-tours
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/alaska-aurora-traveler-snow-364583.webp
categories: Destinations
content_type: News
region: Alaska
publication: Rich Travel Magazine
schema_type: Article
---

Alaska's northern lights season began in late August and runs until late April, and space weather scientists say the years after the sun's recent peak can bring more geomagnetic storms, not fewer.

In October 2024, NASA, NOAA and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel [announced that the sun had reached the solar maximum period of its 11-year cycle](https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-noaa-sun-reaches-maximum-phase-in-11-year-solar-cycle/), which they said could continue for the following year.

"During the declining phase, we actually have more geomagnetic storms," space weather physicist Tamitha Skov told Space.com in a report published on Oct. 3, 2025. Pål Brekke, a solar physicist at the Norwegian Space Agency, had earlier told the site that "peak auroral activity occurs a few years after solar maximum."

"Great aurora viewing in Alaska isn't dependent on it being a solar maximum," said Jillian Simpson, president and CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

## Most Clear Nights in Fairbanks Bring the Aurora

Fairbanks lies under the auroral oval, a ring-shaped zone over the far north where aurora activity is concentrated, according to [Explore Fairbanks](https://www.explorefairbanks.com/explore-the-area/aurora-season/), the city's tourism bureau. Fairbanks also gets little precipitation and sits far from the coast, so clear nights are common.

> "In destinations like Fairbanks under the auroral oval, your chances of seeing the northern lights are pretty high on a clear night."
> — Jillian Simpson, President and CEO, Alaska Travel Industry Association

The bureau says the aurora appears on average four out of five nights when the sky is clear and dark enough, and that visitors who stay at least three nights and are out during the late evening raise their chance of seeing it to more than 90 percent.

Jillian counts fall into early winter among her favorite times to watch, because the nights are getting longer while the temperatures are still mild.

## Four Operators Added New Ways to Watch This Winter

The association names Coldfoot Camp, Chena Hot Springs Resort and Borealis Basecamp as the established places to watch in Interior and Southcentral Alaska, and four newer options opened this year.

The Orion opened near Fairbanks this past spring as a sister property to A Taste of Alaska Lodge. The 10-room lodge has single- and double-queen rooms, an indoor aurora viewing lounge, an outdoor deck and an aurora camera. Guests can sign up for aurora alerts and go out to the viewing areas when conditions are good.

Aurora Black Truck Tours, a new Fairbanks operator, drives groups of up to five in heated vehicles to viewing spots chosen on the night's conditions, on trips of four to six hours with pickup in Fairbanks. Its own site lists seats at $295 per person, or $1,295 for a private group of up to five. If the guides cannot photograph a guest under the aurora, the company offers another tour night or a 50% refund.

Outbound Heli Adventures has opened an aurora viewing dome overlooking Knik Glacier in Southcentral Alaska. Guests can reach it only by helicopter, and the flight is included in the private, guided winter trip. The dome is fully enclosed with panoramic views.

Snowhook Adventure Guides has opened a year-round lodge in Hatcher Pass. Its winter program includes dog sledding, kennel tours, snowmobiling and an on-site sauna, with overnight packages planned around northern lights viewing.

## FAQ

**Q: Why are there more geomagnetic storms after solar maximum?**
Space.com reported that after solar maximum, long-lived coronal holes, cooler and darker regions of the sun's atmosphere that release high-speed solar wind, become more common. Scott McIntosh, a solar researcher at Lynker Space, told the site that "the number of coronal holes increases for a few years post-maximum."

**Q: When exactly is northern lights season in Fairbanks?**
Explore Fairbanks gives the season as Aug. 21 to April 21. The aurora is there year-round, but it can only be seen when the sky is dark enough, which rules out the bright summer months.