Fairbanks Travel Answers

According to this: sunrisesunset.com/calendar.a... on August 31st the sunrise in Fairbanks will be at 6:28 am and sunset at 9:14pm. It isn't their longest day, but does not give much darkness in order to see northern lights. Also, even though the sun may have set, there will still be sunlight in the sky for a long time before and after those times. The light seeps over the top of the earth making the sunrises and sunsets very long - though not a complete 24 hour day of daylight. To see the northern lights, it is best to go when the nights are longer and darker, for certain. You might want to take a look at the current discussion in the Alaska forum, as some of the responses to the previous question involved going to Fairbanks and better alternatives.

That being said, I did see the northern lights just outside of Yellowknife NWT in Canada in the second week of September. Three very faint ribbons of green light that moved through the sky. Not terribly impressive, but visible none the less. Yellowknife is a bit south of Fairbanks. A dark starless night, perhaps just a hint.

I can't comment on the northern lights, but we did do a fab trip out of Seward a few years ago to the Kenai Fjords. We got on a boat to Fox Island, had 2 nights in a lovely cabin (did amazing kayaking trip where we saw orcas up close) then the boat picked us up and took us up to the glacier where we saw loads of whales on the way and lots of other wildlife. The glacier was stunning. There was an option to just do this as a day trip as well without staying on the island. This was in mid-June. Denali is a wonderful place but you may find it a bit of a squeeze to really enjoy that in a couple of days from Seward.

My brother and I saw the Northern lights when we went to Alaska and it was mid August. The owner of the cabin we were staying at actually woke us up - it remains one of the most wondrous of natures spectacles I've ever had the fortune of witnessing. By the way, we were staying in Talkeetna which happens to be one of the top spots in the nation to view the Aurora with a research facility stationed there. Talkeetna is conveniently located between Anchorage and Denali Nat'l Park. It is also a good place to take a plane ride up to McKinley where you can land on a glacier. You can check on predictions of the Northern Lights here: gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast... I hope this has helped, Homer

Hi There are a few hours of darkness at the end of August in Fairbanks. Bring a jacket - it will be close to freezing at night that time of the year. If your purpose for going to Fairbanks is to see the Aurora (a worthwhile reason to me!) I would check the Aurora forecast and the weather forecast the day before you drive up. A moderate Aurora forecast and clear skies would really improve your chances of seeing the lights. http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast Have a great trip! Mike