Northern Lights

[l2f]

We are on a cruise tour Aug 2025.  We were hoping to arrive a couple days early in Fairbanks and doing a Northern Lights tour.  Some tour operators state Aurora season is 21 Aug to 21 Apr.  We have tried to contact several operators but no response.  Can anyone recommend an operator that may do an Aurora tour in August but earlier than 21 August.

[1025cruise]

It might not get dark enough that early.

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

It might not get dark enough that early.

Or, if nothing else, the OP will absolutely need to be awake 24 hours to hopefully see anything.

[Northern Aurora]

I live in Fairbanks, Alaska.  Our aurora season is August 21 through April 21.  You will not find a reputable aurora tour operator which offers tours outside of those dates.  August 20th is still too light.

[Aquahound]

Trying to wrap my head around this.  A northern lights tour?  🤷‍♂️

[Northern Aurora]

13 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

Trying to wrap my head around this.  A northern lights tour?  🤷‍♂️

 

 

Ever been to Fairbanks in the winter?  Not clear why you are "trying to wrap my head around this."  Given the light pollution in Fairbanks itself there are a number of reputable companies who take visitors out beyond the light pollution to search for the aurora.  And some take folks significantly outside of Fairbanks.

[donaldsc]

17 hours ago, Aquahound said:

Trying to wrap my head around this.  A northern lights tour?  🤷‍♂️

 

Lots of us do aurora tours and/or aurora cruises.  I did an aurora cruise last winter in Norway.  In your response to your "can't wrap my head around this" comment, I could say the same thing about many popular cruise and.or land destinations.

 

DON

[Aquahound]

Easy there, cowboys.  You're focusing on the wrong words.  It's not wanting to see the northern lights that I'm questioning.  It's the need for a guided tour. 

[Cruzaholic41]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

Easy there, cowboys.  You're focusing on the wrong words.  It's not wanting to see the northern lights that I'm questioning.  It's the need for a guided tour. 

Lol. I get what you’re saying. It’s like, uh, just look up. 😂

[icystorms]

5 hours ago, Aquahound said:

Easy there, cowboys.  You're focusing on the wrong words.  It's not wanting to see the northern lights that I'm questioning.  It's the need for a guided tour. 

i suspected that's what you meant, because that was my first thought when i saw the tours listed.  i only understood after reading some of the descriptions. 

Edited August 3 by icystorms

[icystorms]

On 8/1/2024 at 11:58 PM, Northern Aurora said:

 

 

Ever been to Fairbanks in the winter?  Not clear why you are "trying to wrap my head around this."  Given the light pollution in Fairbanks itself there are a number of reputable companies who take visitors out beyond the light pollution to search for the aurora.  And some take folks significantly outside of Fairbanks.

i'm planning to be in fairbanks sept 17-20.  it'll be my first time going to fairbanks. is the light pollution to the level that the aurora is never or rarely visible right in the city?  or is it very muted?  how about just outside (pike's waterfront lodge, near the airport)? 

 

i live in downtown philly, wheres there's lots of light pollution.  i can see a few stars when i look at the sky, but when i go to the suburbs, just a little out of the city, i can see many more stars (not as many as when i head even further way, so i understand there are different degrees of light pollution).  my thoughts were "the aurora is much brighter to us than most stars" and "fairbanks would have less light pollution than philly."  so i figured it would be visible in fairbanks.  how do you think the views would be at pike's compared to chena or another tour destination?  would visibility be much less likely, or less intense, or both?

[Aquahound]

20 hours ago, icystorms said:

i suspected that's what you meant, because that was my first thought when i saw the tours listed.  i only understood after reading some of the descriptions. 

 

On 8/2/2024 at 5:18 PM, Cruzaholic41 said:

Lol. I get what you’re saying. It’s like, uh, just look up. 😂

 

Thanks y'all.  You get me.  🙂

[Northern Aurora]

On 8/2/2024 at 2:47 PM, Aquahound said:

Easy there, cowboys.  You're focusing on the wrong words.  It's not wanting to see the northern lights that I'm questioning.  It's the need for a guided tour. 

 

On 8/2/2024 at 4:18 PM, Cruzaholic41 said:

Lol. I get what you’re saying. It’s like, uh, just look up. 😂

 

 

Well, there actually is a need for guided tours.  Those who follow aurora forecasts quickly learn that the forecast can be for an aurora low on the horizon  -- even in Fairbanks.  Given the topography of Fairbanks folks may not be able to "like, uh, just look up."  They may been to be on a ridge or summit away from the light pollution.  All of those photos published by the hospitality industry of a full blown aurora are rather misleading.  Trust me -- folks work to get those photos.

 

And if they drive themselves, they need a rental car with adequate snow tires.  A neighbor ran an air BnB in the winter for a number of years, and according to her the bulk of the small SUV rental cars in Fairbanks just have all weather tires -- not the type of tires we use on our vehicles in the winter.   An all weather tire may  be adequate for a number of climates, but for a Fairbanks winter.  And, according to her, it wasn't just one of the rental car agencies, but the bulk of them had inadequate tires.  Those tires are simply not adequate for a drive up to Cleary Summit in the middle of winter.

[Northern Aurora]

On 8/2/2024 at 8:36 PM, icystorms said:

i'm planning to be in fairbanks sept 17-20.  it'll be my first time going to fairbanks. is the light pollution to the level that the aurora is never or rarely visible right in the city?  or is it very muted?  how about just outside (pike's waterfront lodge, near the airport)? 

 

......

 

The light pollution in Fairbanks certainly is not similar to Philadelphia, but viewing the aurora from a site located actually in Fairbanks is difficult.  That being said, an acquaintance did take a really interesting photo from Davis Road in Fairbanks, but that was a rare occurrence.  We live on Chena Ridge and overlook the large military training grounds to the south (so no light pollution from the training grounds), and see much more intense auroras from this house than we ever did when living on the ridge just north of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  

 

Pike's Waterfront is not the best choice if you want to see an aurora.  That a location is right beside the northern part of the airport runway.  And across the river you have residential subdivisions.  Lots of outdoor lights on all night.

 

When you ask about "chena" are you talking about the Chena Hot Springs Resort?  If so the resort if located a the end of Chena Hot Springs Road just outside of the Chena Rec area.  No power in the recreation area so no outdoor lights.  The CHSP resort generates their own power.  Their tours take folks up to the top a dome to look for the lights, but auroras certainly can be seen from the resort grounds as well.  But at this point you may not be able to book a hotel room for your dates.