Counted among the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the Northern Lights, also called the Aurora Borealis or just the Aurora, are on a lot of bucket lists. Seeing them requires some luck, clear, dark skies, and, typically, being at far northern latitudes.
While people often think of Scandinavia and the Arctic when the Northern Lights come to mind, there are actually several places in the non-Arctic U.S. known for good displays of the Aurora. Since some of them are in the Lower 48, travel to them doesn’t have to be inconvenient and expensive.
A pond in a dense forest on a rainy day, in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.
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Northern Maine
Maine is a largely rural state, and the farther into the interior you go, the more rural it gets. This results in skies mostly free of light pollution, which is essential for viewing the Aurora.
The undeveloped Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is one of the best places for viewing the lights. However, just about anywhere in the northern part of the state is good, and your chances improve the farther north you go.
Calm blue waters of Lake Superior lap against the sandstone cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising, Michigan, with pines and early fall foliage above.
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Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Like northern Maine, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is far to the north and heavily rural. Thus, it has really dark night skies throughout most of it. The many state parks there make good places to find a secluded viewing spot.
Among the very best, though, are the open beaches along Lake Superior in places like Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Northern Lights erupt in brilliant Aurora sky over Northern Minnesota Little Sand Lake in Remer
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Minnesota’s Lake Country
Nicknamed the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota actually has nearly 12,000 lakes carved by ancient glacial activity. Also, far to the north, with dark skies, Minnesota is another excellent place to view the Northern Lights. Standing on a north-facing lakeshore is one of the best ways to do that since the skies above the lakes will be open.
If you’re up for some adventure with your Aurora viewing, try a journey into the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness or Voyageurs National Park. Both are along the Canadian border and thus about as far north as you can get in the state, and you can view them from one of the many islands there or from the waters themselves.
A crystal-clear lake sits beneath towering mountains and lush evergreen forest in Glacier National Park, Montana.
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Glacier National Park, Montana
Almost all of northern Montana is great for seeing the Northern Lights, but Glacier National Park might be the best. That’s especially true on the eastern side of the park, which has very little development outside or near its boundaries.
You can get very far by car during the winter when there’s more auroral activity, but you can still drive several miles in from the St. Mary entrance. Why is Glacier the best in the state for this? On clear, dark nights when the Aurora is doing its magic, the lights can silhouette the majestic mountain peaks beneath them.
Scenic view of snowcapped mountains against the sky at night, Fairbanks, Alaska.
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Fairbanks, Alaska
Most of Alaska is great for seeing the Northern Lights when the skies are clear, and Fairbanks is one of the best places in the world to see them. For one thing, the skies are often clear and dark.
More importantly, Fairbanks lies within the Auroral Oval, a ring that encircles the planet, often just south of the Arctic Circle, where auroral activity peaks. The direct path of the Oval fluctuates, but Fairbanks is often within it.
Although the Northern Lights have on rare occasions been seen as far south as Central Texas, the farther north you go, the more likely you are to see them. The displays are better as well. The Aurora Borealis can occur at any time of the year, but it’s most active from late fall through early spring.