On quite a few people’s bucket list is seeing the Northern Lights. Also known as the Aurora Borealis it is the most impressive light show that nature can create. The Northern Lights are only visible in the winter on cold, crisp nights without a cloud in sight. They are visible starting in October until early spring arrives in April. The best month to view the Northern Lights is March between Latitudes 65-72 degrees, close to the Arctic Circle. The Aurora Borealis occurs when electrically charged solar particles collide with atmospheric gases to create what looks curtains hanging from the stars.
Check out the best places to see the epic northern lights and start planning your trip for winter.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Tourists flock to Fairbanks during the cold winter months to see the epic Northern Lights. People gladly brave the -40 degrees weather to catch a glimpse of the dancing lights. The Northern Lights can be seen as early as August when darkness descends once again on northern Alaska. Although not every color is able to be viewed, Aurora Borealis professional and amateur photographers can capture greens, blues, purples, reds, and oranges with the Milky Way as the canvas backdrop. Breathtaking!
Whitehorse, Canada
One of the best reasons to road trip through the Yukon Territory in Canada is for the brilliant light display. Canada’s vast wilderness in its northernmost territory has very little to no light pollution, which is ideal to capture a Northern Lights show. Seeing the Northern Lights against the Arctic Tundra is like out of a dream… hard to describe and equally hard to forget.
Outside Reykjavik, Iceland
There is hardly a spot in Iceland where you can’t get a good view of the Northern Lights. You do need to get outside the city lights of Reykjavik and into Þingvellir National Park for your best chances though. Northern Lights hunting is a way of life, whether the lights are out for a few minutes or hours. Hotels often have wake-up calls for when the lights are out and shuttle buses are ready to take the tourists to just beyond the city limits to capture the most spectacular light show you will ever see.
Tips and tricks on how to photograph the Northern Lights.
Beautiful pictures of the Northern Lights to get your excited to see them for yourself!
Abisko National Park, Sweden
In Sweden, there is a unique micro-climate located in the Abisko National Park called the Swedish Lapland. There is a part of the night sky that remains crystal clear no matter what else is going on with the weather. It is called the Blue Hole of Abisko and is the perfect spot to see the many shades of green that the lights reflect. Setup your camera’s timer to capture the gentle ripples of the lake with the dancing lights against the dark winter sky. Utterly epic!
What do you think? Would you like to see these gorgeous lights someday?
If you liked this post, then be sure to check out some of my other travel posts:
Guide to Iceland and Five Things You Can’t Miss
Hudson Valley Getaway
Robin says
3 years ago I went to Alaska (the photos are popping up every day right now in my Facebook memories!) and we saw the Northern Lights when we were staying at Chena Hot Springs. Being August it was super early in “lights season” and though we got some really nice photos (thanks to a tripod, a nice camera and a handful of lenses) they were not vividly colored to the naked eye. Once my eyes adjusted to the pitch black of ‘middle of nowhere, AK’ they were more like gray-green clouds moving across the sky. The green is bright and vivid in the photos and I got some purple in a couple of shots, but I most definitely MUST go back later in the season – I’m dying to see them when they look like they do in photos. They are amazing!
Toni - Design Dazzle says
Sounds awesome! Hopefully we’re going to Alaska next year. I like the idea of a tripod with several lenses. It’s amazing what you can do with a great camera and the know-how to use it!!