When is the best time to plan a trip to Alaska to see the Aurora?

I’ve been to Alaska twice and took my 70+ year old mom last time. She balked at float-rafting, sea-kayaking, and mild hiking but ended up enjoying herself. Now she wants to see the Aurora. I assume Fairbanks will be the best area, I can get the tix with FF miles, and and a stopover somewhere in the lower-48. I know Chena Springs has a package but I’d like to know other options that might be as good with a lower cost.
I think American/Alaskan flies all year so the calendar is open.
I assume David in Kenai has the knowledge but others are welcome to contribute.

You’re right that Fairbanks is the obivous place to fly into. Look into lodging that is out of town to get away from urban light pollution. Anyone in tourism in Fairbanks in the winter gets lots of Qs about the aurora and can give more details.

Don’t come now (you knew that) because it isn’t getting dark enough yet. September can be a nice mix of hiking, fishing (with warm clothes), cold enough nights to kill the squitters, but dark nights for aurora.

Consider though, that 2009 is shaping up to be the lowest solar activity year in the last century. Solar activity will ramp up over the next 5 years and each year will have better aurora than the last. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but better you be informed.

But in my experience, more important than high-activity versus low-activity years is BEING OUTSIDE after dark. Years that I’ve walked the dog a lot after work in the winter, I see A LOT more aurora. Best of all, is to be driving through the night (turn the dash lights down). Because you’re looking outside the car at all times, you’ll see any aurora that come out that night. Including ones that locals wouldn’t have noticed if they weren’t outside during those 10-20 minutes.

So consider planning your intinerary to include driving the rental car from place to place at night.

Sign up for the aurora alerts. And ask you flight attendents, ship captain, hotel front desk to wake you for any auroras that happen that night. And get window seats on the NE side of the plane (F coming up, A going south). That’s also preferred for day flights because the mountains are on that side as well.

I’ve gotten lucky a few times and seen the entire sky in different patterns of green light. Especially consider the drive from Fairbanks to Tok because that often in the sweet spot for aurora.

FF mile trick: Do your stopover in Anchorage or Fairbanks but book round trip Nome or Barrow or Prudhoe Bay. (especially Barrow or Prudhoe for aurora). That’s counts as one free round trip with one included stopover. You’d likely never spend the $700 RT ANC-SCC or FAI-BRW, but when it is free, it is worth spending a day there to see everything in town (twice!).

Good luck.

Sea kayak rolling Alaska, 1928

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