The dance of the aurora borealis across American skies is about to reach spectacular heights. With solar maximum bringing heightened solar activity, promising dazzling displays, this winter presents an extraordinary opportunity for Americans to witness nature’s most captivating light show without leaving the country.
The elusive aurora borealis could put on its strongest performance this winter in over a decade, as solar activity reaches its peak, with NASA confirming that the sun was reaching its maximum phase in its 11-year solar cycle, which is expected to continue into the coming years.
So let’s explore the most promising destinations where winter’s darkness will transform into ribbons of green, pink, and purple magic.
Fairbanks, Alaska: The Undisputed Aurora Capital
Fairbanks is considered one of the best places in the US to see the auroras and is directly under the “Auroral Oval,” where aurora activity is most heavily concentrated. The interior city is far from the coast and enjoys little precipitation and humidity, making for lots of crystal-clear nights, with a very long, very dark winter.
The Northern Lights season here lasts a long time, from August 21 to April 21, and a handy tracker lets you know when your chances are best across six different options, with three locations showing “above average” chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis. A few places known for spectacular viewing are Chena Lake Recreation Area, just outside the North Pole, with most hotels in the area offering you a wake-up call when the Northern Lights appear, so you can go to bed knowing you won’t miss anything.
Denali National Park, Alaska: Wilderness Aurora Theater
With 2.4 million hectares of untouched wilderness, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, located about 383 kilometers north of Anchorage, is also one of the best places in the U.S. to see the northern lights, thanks to the lack of light pollution. Fall is the best season to get the clearest view of the dancing auroras.
The park’s expansive wilderness provides multiple vantage points for aurora viewing, with the dramatic backdrop of North America’s tallest peak adding to the spectacle. Whether you’re viewing the auroras from a remote cabin in Denali, each location offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Cook County, Minnesota: Superior Aurora Reflections
Cook County – at the northeastern tip of Minnesota along the shores of Lake Superior, roughly 400 kilometers northeast of Minneapolis – offers plenty of outdoor spaces to lie back and watch the lights and is also home to Minnesota’s tallest mountain peaks and highest waterfall, High Falls, all of which offer a stunning backdrop for the multicolored sky.
Locals go to Oberg Mountain in the Superior National Forest to capture views of the aurora casting its glow over Lake Superior, Oberg Lake, and Moose Mountain, with the aurora often easy to see between late fall and early spring thanks to Cook County’s northern location and dark skies. At the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center in Cook County’s Grand Marais, the All Sky Camera mounted on the seasonal museum’s roof captures a 360-degree sky photo every minute from 30 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes after sunrise.
Upper Peninsula Michigan: Great Lakes Aurora Haven
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is one of the northernmost parts of the continental USA, extending out into Lake Superior about 410 kilometers from Green Bay, Wisconsin, with aurora sightings quite common in the region, and many residents are able to catch the dancing lights from their backyards.
For the best chance at catching the lights, head to Marquette, the major port on Lake Superior, or the Keweenaw Peninsula, the state’s northernmost area, where on a clear night, the northern lights reflect off the largest lake in North America, creating a spectacular show. Michigan is a great place to catch the Northern Lights, especially in Upper Michigan, with the area excelling due to its expansive shoreline along Lake Superior’s southern shore, with some spots showcasing the best views, including the Headlands International Dark Sky Park and Port Crescent State Park.
Aroostook County, Maine: East Coast Aurora Gateway
Located on the U.S.-Canadian border roughly 250 kilometers north of Bangor, Maine, Aroostook County is sparsely populated, so there’s little to no light pollution to obstruct your aurora screening, with this county far enough north for the Aurora Borealis to make an appearance.
Set up camp in Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses more than 2,100 hectares of wetlands, forest, and grasslands that are home to such critters as moose and black bears, with crisp, clear winter nights most common for aurora viewing in Aroostook; however, sightings are possible in the spring and fall, when magnetic storm activity is strongest.
Priest Lake, Idaho: Hidden Northern Gem
Idaho probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking of the northern lights, which is part of what makes each sighting over Priest Lake and the Idaho Panhandle National Forest such an incredible treat, with these locations about 80 kilometers south of the Canadian border and 150 kilometers northeast of Spokane, Washington, offering the dark, clear skies ideal for northern lights viewing.
The aurora often reflects off the lake, providing a special mirrored perspective of nature’s light show, with photographers flocking to Priest Lake to compose images of northern lights set against the mountainous backdrop. Though Idaho is often overlooked for Northern Lights viewing, the state boasts excellent dark skies and minimal light pollution, with its northern regions, such as Coeur d’Alene and Teton Valley, promising fantastic opportunities to see the Aurora Borealis.
Glacier National Park, Montana: Rocky Mountain Aurora Stage
Glacier National Park includes many amazing places to settle in and watch the lights, where you can see them reflected in the waters of Lake McDonald, and stay in your tent at the Bowman & Kinta lakes to see them in the backcountry.
Other spots include Looking Glass Road or the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (where you can share viewing rights with a bison herd in their paddock), and if you’re more into drinking and merriment than quiet awe, try the Northern Lights Saloon & Cafe in Polebridge for live music and huckleberry pie as you watch together. Known for its breathtaking landscapes and never-ending outdoor adventures, Montana also charms Northern Lights enthusiasts, with the Big Sky State home to some of the clearest and darkest skies in the country during winter, with iconic places like Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest potentially greeting visitors with the mesmerizing dance of greens, pinks, and purples across the night sky.
North Dakota: Prairie Aurora Paradise
Like Alaska and Montana, North Dakota is one of the least densely populated states in the United States, with the lack of development ensuring virtually no light pollution to interfere with stargazing or trying to see the aurora. North Dakota is a stargazing haven, where almost all parts of the state are perfectly suited for viewing celestial wonders year-round.
The vast Great Plains provide unobstructed horizons perfect for catching the aurora’s full display. Alaska should be your top choice but if it is too remote for you to travel there, head to the northernmost states of the Lower 48, such as northern Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana.
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota: Dark Sky Sanctuary
Voyageurs National Park is far enough north to see the aurora borealis, certified as an International Dark Sky Park since 2020, and is wondrous year-round, with a night sky speckled with meteors and the Milky Way, with that firmament all the more magnificent when it is festooned with colorful ribbons of light, which can happen as many as 200 nights per year.
Tucked way up in northern Minnesota practically on the Canada border, Voyageurs National Park is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in North America, with lakes being some of the best viewing areas, and Voyageurs is basically one giant series of interconnected lakes, with lakes tending to be large, wide-open areas and the added visual benefit of the lights reflecting off the still water.
Washington State: Pacific Northwest Aurora Surprise
Washington’s skies lit up dramatically during major storms, particularly when Kp levels spiked in fall and spring, with the best months being October and April, when visibility will likely peak again at 75%. Mount Rainier National Park offers greater chances thanks to its high-altitude locations, just a few hours from Seattle, with North Cascades National Park, also known as the “American Alps,” having rugged wilderness with dramatic peaks, alpine lakes, and some of the darkest skies in Washington, and remote viewpoints like Diablo Lake Overlook providing spectacular opportunities to catch the Northern Lights display.
A Facebook page of over 100k members tracks Aurora Borealis throughout the state, with people posting to let others know of current or about-to-happen auroral activity and to share photos, while the group rules concede that the Northern Lights aren’t standard in Washington like in Alaska, the moderators are excited for people to notify each other when it’s happening.
Vermont and New Hampshire: New England’s Northern Edge
Malletts Bay is one of the dynamic coastal features of Vermont’s Lake Champlain shoreline, and a good spot to try the see the northern lights in Vermont, with it being a short 15-minute drive north from the Vermont city of Burlington to the community that has developed here, where you can head out onto the peninsula to Colchester Point, Causeway Park, or Mills Point to try and see the aurora in the northern sky, looking toward Grande Isle/South Hero Island but there isn’t so much light pollution that you’ll miss the tell-tale dancing lights in the sky if they’re visible.
Like Vermont, New Hampshire is a tricky spot to try and see the northern lights with not a lot of state far enough north to spot the aurora and a lot of development and light pollution to contend with, but one place locals recommend is the Mount Washington Valley, where local writer Dan Houdle recommends locations in the area including “Kancamagus Highway (Route 112), the Bretton Woods area, parts of Fryeburg, and the southern areas around Tamworth and Sandwich“.
Wisconsin: Badger State Aurora Territory
Wisconsin is undeniably one of the best places to see the Northern Lights in the U.S., with locations such as Rock Island State Park, Newport State Park, and Harrington Beach State Park among the best places in the state for an unobstructed view of the celestial phenomenon.
The state’s northern location and numerous dark sky areas make it a reliable destination for aurora viewing. However, 2025’s heightened solar activity means auroras may be visible at lower latitudes, with states like Washington, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the U.S. potentially witnessing faint glows on the horizon or even more prominent displays.
Conclusion: Winter’s Electric Promise
The combination of Solar Cycle 25’s unexpected strength and the approaching “last gasp” phase creates a unique astronomical opportunity that may not repeat for another decade, with the next 18 months representing a prime opportunity to witness one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena at intensities that may not occur again until the 2030s.
These twelve locations offer Americans the best chances to witness the northern lights without international travel. From Alaska’s aurora capital to the surprising displays in Washington State, this winter promises extraordinary celestial shows. The best times to see the northern lights in the USA and abroad are October through March, though you can totally see them in September and April, but the days are a little longer here, and it might decrease your chances a smidge.
What makes this winter particularly special? The timing couldn’t be better. Have you started planning your aurora adventure yet?