Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) Near Anchorage, the Iditarod Start & Fur Rendezvous ('Fur Rondy')

Many travellers assume you must fly to Fairbanks to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) or wait until mid-winter. In reality, Aurora season in Anchorage begins around 20 August (as soon as dark skies return after the Midnight Sun) and runs through 20 April. Whenever geomagnetic activity reaches Kp 3 or Kp 4+ on a clear night, green and violet curtains of the Aurora dance above the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet.

1. How & Where to See the Northern Lights Around Anchorage (Aug 20 to April 20)

• Check the UAF Aurora Forecast & Request a Wake-Up Call: use the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Aurora Tracker or My Aurora Forecast app and watch for clear skies plus Kp 3 to 5+ around midnight. Many Anchorage and Girdwood hotels (Alyeska Resort and Hotel Captain Cook) maintain a free Northern Lights wake-up call list at reception.
• The 4 Best Dark-Sky Viewpoints Looking North: choose a spot with dark water or mountains to your north:
  1. Point Woronzof & Kincaid Park (10 to 15 Mins West): looks north across Cook Inlet toward Mount Denali with no city lights ahead.
  2. Glen Alps / Flattop Overlook (20 Mins Southeast at 2,200 ft): rises above valley fog.
  3. Eklutna Tailrace, Reflections Lake & Knik River Bridge (30 to 40 Mins North): dark skies with mirror reflections of Pioneer Peak.
  4. Guided Night Aurora Photo Tours (Greatland Adventures or Alaska Photo Treks): guides pick you up in a heated van, drive to the clearest sky gap within 50 miles, set up tripods and take portraits under the Aurora.

2. Late February to First Saturday of March: Fur Rondy & Iditarod Start

In winter, target the final week of February and first weekend of March, when daylight reaches 10.5 hours and Downtown Anchorage hosts the 10-day Fur Rendezvous ('Fur Rondy', held since 1935 with Championship Sled Dog Sprint Races, snow sculptures and the Running of the Reindeer), culminating on the First Saturday of March with the Ceremonial Start of the 1,000-Mile Iditarod at 4th Avenue and D Street.