Where to Go from Fairbanks Alaska

There are too many places to list where you can see the lights. Any open spot with a view toward the north or northeast with little light pollution. You can see the lights while driving, but usually not in the city, as your night vision will be hindered. Dim your cars dash lights! Turn off your headlights when you reach your destination, and to turn off parking lights that like to stay on, use the parking brake.

If the roads are icy, the weather cloudy, or you just don’t want to do it alone, hiring a tour guide is a good choice. You will be around like minded people, interested in seeing the aurora.

Find out if you should hire a guide or do it yourself by taking a fun quiz. Tour recommendations are here: Tours or see the Sponsors of this website.

These are the locations of most of the aurora webcams in the area around Fairbanks, Alaska. If you want to add yours, please send a message. You do not have to travel to these exact locations to see the aurora, as we will see the same aurora from the entire region. However, these webcams will show you the weather conditions, possible light pollution conditions, and give you ideas where you would like to drive to or stay overnight.

The most popular and well known locations are Cleary Summit and Chena Lakes. Cleary can get crowded, as some tour busses park there and leave them running with the lights on. Car drivers routinely block the parking area and even face the wrong direction! There are also overgrown bushes and trees now blocking most of the view. Be polite and turn off your headlights as soon as possible. Honestly, you do not need to go to Cleary Summit unless the aurora is very weak and low. The vantage point lets you see for miles to the north, northeast, which makes Cleary a great place to go when the aurora is low. Here is a tip, skip Cleary Summit, and drive past just a little bit. There is another parking area on the right, off the Steese Highway. Sometimes it is not plowed so use caution.

Chena Lakes is big and there is plenty of places to park, despite the new gate occasionally blocking access to a portion of the public park. Get out and look before driving in some areas to test how deep the snow is. New streetlights have destroyed several views at the Recreation area, but some areas are still excellent.

*If you are going to one of these locations and do not see aurora, you will not see it by driving to another location unless the weather is clearer at the next location. You have to wait patiently for the aurora to come out.

Driving around or sitting in a car for hours may not be for everyone, especially when it is really cold! Really cold is defined as -20F or colder, according to my humble opinion. Consider going to a lodge or aurora viewing building. Or, stay in place at a cabin rental or bnb.

Head north out of Fairbanks on the Steese Hwy. Pass the pipeline. When you get to the weigh station (located on the right), and the gas station (located on the left), this is the town of Fox. Turn right, which is still the Steese Hwy. The signs will say you are headed toward Chatanika, Central, and Circle. Go up the mountain. You will know when you get to the summit, as it starts to go downhill, and there is a sign for trucks that indicate downhill. Right before that sign is a parking area to pull into. The street sign reads Fairbanks Creek Rd and Fish Creek Rd.

If you keep going toward Chatanika on the Steese Hwy, there are some areas to pull over to see the aurora, but in the dark and driving on the ice, if you are unfamiliar, the best area is in fact, Cleary Summit. After Cleary, your cell phone may lose its signal. After Chatanika Lodge, there are no services for almost 100 miles and are closed at night.