7 Best Places to See the Northern Lights in the U.S.

The northern lights, otherwise known as the aurora borealis, is one of nature’s most enchanting phenomenon. During the display, streamers of green, white, pink, and violet light pirouette across the night sky. No two auroral events are the same. Sometimes, they last minutes; other nights, they dance for hours.

The sun’s current 11-year cycle, which started in 2019, reached solar maximum in July 2025, but the rest of this year and 2026 are predicted to be just as colorful, according to a solar cycle chart from the Space Weather Prediction Center. And while the skyward spectacle is often associated with the Arctic Circle, you don’t need to travel to Scandinavia or far northern Canada to witness the northern lights. Although an ultra-bright aurora borealis is never a given, the northernmost regions of the United States offer myriad prime locations for witnessing the magic of this stunning solar feat.

Skip the jet lag and start planning your trip to one of the seven best places in the USA to see the northern lights.

Fairbanks, Alaska

Given its location, Alaska is typically considered the best place in the United States to view the northern lights. Situated under the auroral oval, a band that hugs the polar region where auroras are most concentrated, Fairbanks offers an exceptional chance to witness the aurora borealis when conditions are right. It’s estimated that the lights are visible on 80 percent of clear nights between September and April. (During the rest of the year, the solar activity is still happening, but the midnight sun makes it impossible to see.)

The remote location and long, dark winter nights create an ideal setting for aurora viewing. Popular spots include the Chena Hot Springs Resort, where you can soak in the warm waters while awaiting the lights, and Murphy Dome, a high vantage point that provides expansive views of the sky. If you’re looking to stack the deck, you might consider going with a guide. Salmon Berry Tours gives guided tours with hotel pickup, Last Frontier Mushing Co-Op offers the chance to see the aurora from the basket of a dog sled, and AK River Tours takes anglers out to wait for the aurora from an ice fishing hut.

Where to stay

Book now: Borealis Basecamp
Surrounded by 100 acres of coniferous forest in the wilderness 40 minutes outside Fairbanks, Borealis Basecamp‘s 28 fiberglass igloos are perfect for winter glamping. Expect comfortable beds, full bathrooms, and 16-foot-wide windows on the roof so you can gaze in awe at the aurora borealis from within your snug room. For even better views, book one of nine cubes whose 10-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows frame ethereally beautiful snow-covered trees and the main event overhead.

Related: When, Where, and How to See the Northern Lights in Alaska

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

A certified International Dark Sky Park since 2020, Voyageurs National Park is wondrous year-round, with a night sky speckled with meteors and the Milky Way. That firmament is all the more magnificent when it is festooned with colorful ribbons of light, which can happen as many as 200 nights per year. There are various locations within the park that are good for northern lights viewing, from the miles of lakeshore to backcountry clearings—really, anywhere with unobstructed, north-facing views will do.

However, there are three places the National Park Service recommends specifically: the Meadowood Road Day Use Area, the Ash River Visitor Center, and the upper parking lot at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. Through September, Voyageurs Conservacy runs “Park After Dark” events each Thursday, and there’s potential to see the northern lights in September.

Where to stay

Book now: Cantilever Hotel, Trademark Collection by Wyndham

The only hotel within the park, Kettle Falls, is closed much of aurora season (October through April). An enticing option only 10 minutes’ drive from the park is Cantilever Hotel, with 31 rooms, an on-site distillery and cocktail bar serving made-in-Minnesota spirits, and a rooftop sauna from which you can see Rainy Lake and Ontario, Canada. If you’re up to roughing it, Voyageurs National Park has 159 campsites—143 frontcountry, 14 backcountry, and two primitive.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota is a fine spot for counting the constellations, watching satellites float along the horizon, and, on some occasions, witnessing an interstellar explosion of color. That is because of the wide-open spaces of the badlands and minimal light pollution.

Some of the best places to stop in this more than 70,000-acre park to hopefully see the solar show are Peaceful Valley Ranch, Wind Canyon, Buck Hill, Beef Corral Bottom, and the River Bend Overlook. The National Park Service operates ranger programs throughout the year aimed at giving visitors a better understanding of the cosmos, although the best is arguably the Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival, which offers stargazing sessions, guest speakers, and workshops.

Where to stay

Book now: Rough Riders Hotel

Less than a 10-minute walk from the park’s south entrance, the Rough Riders Hotel has 76 simple but comfortable rooms, with double queen beds that can sleep up to four or king rooms for two. The hotel has one of the world’s largest private libraries of books by and about Theodore Roosevelt and a popular cocktail bar, TR’s Tavern.

Bayfield, Wisconsin

Located as far north as you can go in Wisconsin, Bayfield and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are a stargazer’s paradise. The lack of light pollution and wealth of unobstructed views create perfect conditions to enjoy the night sky, and the northern lights are often visible here, sometimes reflecting off the waters of Lake Superior. For those keen on aurora hunting by themselves, places like Meyers Beach, Sand Island, and Outer Island are good spots for watching the galaxy turn psychedelic. Otherwise, companies like Northern Lights Adventures offer aurora viewing tours by boat.

Where to stay

Book now: Queen’s View Bayfield

The fairy-tale bed-and-breakfast that is Queen’s View Bayfield is in a Queen Anne home from 1892 (with an extension added in 1986). The B&B has colorful gardens, an outdoor sauna, and a heated plunge pool, and it overlooks Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands. Each of the seven rooms is different; Betty’s Room, for example, is super cozy, with its vaulted, exposed-beam ceiling, a four-poster bed with blue curtains, and a covered balcony overlooking the lake.

Headlands International Dark Sky Park, Michigan

This slice of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, at the far eastern edge of Lake Michigan, is an International Dark Sky Park and continues to take careful steps to preserve and protect the nighttime environment, an absolute necessity for the ideal northern lights viewing experience. There are astronomy-themed events constantly happening here, such as discussions about the James Webb Space Telescope mission and an aurora chasers workshop. For intrepid explorers, the park recommends finding “a viewing location with a body of water or a nice field so that you can see any activity low on the horizon.” Places like McGulpin Point and the Waterfront Event Center are stellar places to scan the sky.

Where to stay

Book now: The Guesthouse at the Headlands and Stargazing House; Deer Head Inn

Within the park are two houses available to rent, the Guesthouse at the Headlands and Stargazing House; the former sleeps up to 20 and the latter 8, and both have equipped kitchens and enough space for everyone to eat together. Ten minutes’ drive from the park, in Mackinaw City, Deer Head Inn is a B&B in a 1913 arts and crafts–style house with a front porch and five rooms, each with a different theme. The Wilderness Room has evergreen trees, a bear’s head on the wall, and a cast-iron, forest green clawfoot tub.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

The dark skies and vast horizons of northern Idaho combine to make an excellent place to catch a glimpse of the dazzling display of lights, and the lakeside city of Coeur d’Alene is a great destination with plenty of spots that offer visibility, including the Mineral Ridge Scenic Area, Farragut State Park, or the very popular Tubbs Hill. The Coeur d’Alene Astronomy Club also hosts regular stargazing and northern lights events throughout the area for those who want expert insight. (Contact them at [email protected] for an events calendar.)

Where to stay

Book now: Greenbriar Inn

Greenbriar Inn is right downtown, 10 minutes’ walk from Tubbs Hill and with plenty of restaurants nearby. The house dates from 1908, and the rooms, done in soft grays and whites, mix antique-y and modern, with comfortable reading chairs, carved wooden furniture, and glass shower stalls (except for one room with a clawfoot tub).

Acadia National Park, Maine

Situated on the coast of Maine, Acadia National Park is one of the darkest spots on the Eastern Seaboard and a heavenly place to see the celestial dance. Some of the best spots are toward the northern side of the park, such as Sand Beach, Ocean Path, or Jordan Pond on Mount Desert Island. High vantage points, like atop Cadillac Mountain, are also excellent places to observe the sky. The National Park Service occasionally offers night sky programs, including northern lights expeditions.

Where to stay

Book now: Under Canvas Acadia

Get cozy in one of 63 safari-style canvas tents at Under Canvas Acadia, open early May through mid-October. Thirty-five minutes’ drive from Acadia National Park and situated on 100 acres of land—including a little beach where guests can go for an icy dip in Union River Bay—the property has little light pollution. After an evening of s’mores around the firepit, take a sleeping bag to the sprawling lawn to gaze up at the night sky, which is always active, even if the northern lights aren’t out.

Related: 9 Incredible U.S. National Parks for Stargazing

This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on August 19, 2025, with current information.