Chasing the Northern Lights, Fairbanks, Alaska

The Trip

Is viewing the Northern Lights on your bucket list? 

Experience the best of Alaska in the winter!  Called the Aurora Borealis, the Polar Lights, the Northern Lights, or Aqsalijaat by the Inuit, they are one of the most fantastic nature shows you will ever see. Always changing, moving from streamers to curtains and showing different colors, seeing the aurora is truly an experience of a lifetime.

Most auroras occur in a band known as the "auroral zone" and it just so happens that Fairbanks, Alaska is smack in the center of this zone, making it one of the best locations to see the “lights” in the entire world. March, with its long, clear nights and dry weather, is one of the best viewing months.

Come join us while we chase after the aurora to get some spectacular views. Bring your camera, because you will want to capture and share these lasting memories. We can’t guarantee we’ll see the northern lights, but we can promise it will not be for lack of trying.

When you aren’t enjoying the light show, you can relax in our warm, comfortable manor. You won’t lack things to do!  Lots of winter activities are available such as visiting the World Ice Art Championships, luxuriating in hot springs, or taking a dog sled trip!

After each active day, we return in the evening to Fairbanks’s premier luxury vacation rental and relax with warm food and beverage in hand.

Our goal is to experience the best of winter in Fairbanks and the surrounding Boreal ecosystems. We will have outdoor activities and indoor educational visits, plus some time in town, to visit shops and search downtown for the best coffee and baked goods.

Day 1: Arrive in Fairbanks. We will pick you up either at the airport or at your hotel. We will make our way to our fabulous lodgings for appetizers and our first meal together (dinner). Check-in to the house is not until 5 p.m., so plan accordingly. 

Days 2-7: Our itinerary each day will be dependent on the weather, although participants should expect busy days.

On our first full day we visit the renowned University of Alaska - Museum of the North where we will learn about the people and the animals of the Arctic. More importantly, we will get an informative Aurora briefing, learning about the science and the mythology of this phenomenon. Afterward, we can take a short hike around the campus, and maybe catch a glimpse of Denali. Later that evening, we will visit Aurora Pointe for our first possible Aurora sighting. At the Pointe we will gather around a cozy fire and enjoy locally made snacks and coffee/tea while we wait for the lights to emerge.

On the following days we have a variety of activities planned including crossing the Arctic circle, hiking, and viewing beautiful sights at the World Ice Art Championships

Our drive north will be on the wild Dalton Highway, along the oil pipeline -- all the way to the Arctic Circle! Few attempt this trip in the depths of winter, but it's well worth it. We will be viewing the frozen landscape from a comfortable, well-heated, coach. Along the way, we will stop regularly and learn about this land and the history of its exploration. We will be far from Fairbank’s lights on this trip and yet again, have a great chance to see the spectacular lights. And we will cross the Arctic Circle!

On other days, our planned activities include hiking at the State Wildlife Refuge known as Creamer’s Field, visiting the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center, and spending an evening at the World Ice Art Championships at the Fairgrounds.The Fairground displays are interactive. In addition to the completed ice sculptures that are spectacularly lit up, you can take a ride down one of several elaborate slides made completely out of ice!

No winter trip to Alaska is complete without a dog mushing excursion. We have arranged with one of the area mushers to give us a great Alaskan experience. You will meet the dog mushers, interact with the dogs as you help with the assembly of your dog team, then take an exhilarating sled ride into the backcountry. Since guiding your own dog team requires at least one or two full days of instruction, this will be a “ride” in a sled that is driven by a professional dog musher.

If we haven’t had enough of a view of the Aurora, we have booked an evening with the Aurora Chasers -- possibly our best opportunity to spot and photograph the Northern Lights. The chasers have an incredible track record, having helped thousands of guests view and take stunning photographs of the Northern Lights over the years.

On day seven, we will travel about one hour out of town to the famous Chena Hot Springs. Soaking in a natural pool while you gaze at the snow-covered White Mountains is a fabulous experience. The resort is the apex of a snowshoe/ski trail system that can take you as far or long as you want to go. Chena Hot Springs offers many resort activities such as snowmobile rides, massages, or a visit to the Aurora Ice Bar and Museum, though it should be noted that the Hot Springs pool and surrounding hikes are the only activities included in the trip fee.

The “Alaska Weather Factor” means that we can’t script every activity, every day. Your guides have extensive Alaska experience which we will utilize to get the most out of every day. Please understand that the weather is unpredictable, and we may have cancel or postpone one or more of our activities. 

Day 8: Our last meal together will be breakfast on the final day. We will pack and check out of our accommodations by 10 a.m.  We transport everyone to either the Fairbanks Airport or to a local hotel. You can plan your homeward flight for noon onward.

Getting There

Our lodging for the week is a beautiful Tudor mansion, complete with fine furnishings and crystal. Plan on shared sleeping quarters, but all accommodations in the mansion are spacious and comfortable. Breakfasts will be at our lodging and most days we make lunches ahead and take them with us on our day’s outing. Except for our planned Arctic Circle trip, dinners will be at the mansion.

As with most Sierra Club trips, the participants will be assigned to help with the meal preparations and/or clean-ups. We may be able to accommodate some dietary restrictions and/or preferences, but we hope to attract participants with an “open palate” attitude. Please discuss any dietary restrictions with the leader before signing up for the trip.

Trip Difficulty

We will be staying at our lodgings for the entire week and will only carry with us what we need for the particular activity of the day. Participants should be able to carry 15 pounds in a daypack, which may include lunch, water, a hot drink in a thermos, camera, binoculars, and extra clothing. The most strenuous activity will be hiking or snowshoeing on gently-sloped terrain. On each hike there will be a leader and a sweep, so no one will be left behind.

Sleeping accommodations at the house require climbing several flights of stairs. 

Equipment and Clothing

Trip participants will be expected to bring winter clothing suitable for outdoor activity in possibly very cold weather. Layering of synthetic or wool clothing is critical in cold conditions for proper moisture management and to avoid getting chilled. An equipment list will be sent to you once you are accepted on the trip.

In the event that we experience particularly cold temperatures, there is a fully stocked REI in town where you will able to purchase additional hats, gloves, hand and feet warmers, etc.

Temperatures on our 2022 trip were around +20 F, while the temperatures on our 2019 trip got down to -37 F. You never know what you are going to get!

References

Websites:

• Museum of the North:
  https://www.uaf.edu/museum/
• Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge:
  https://friendsofcreamersfield.org/
• Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center:
  https://www.morristhompsoncenter.org/
• Northern Alaska Environmental Center:
  https://northern.org/
• World Ice Art Championships:
  https://icealaska.com/
• Dalton Highway Visitors Guide (BLM):
  https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/PublicRoom_Alaska_DaltonHwy_VisitorGuide-web.pdf
  (The Dalton Highway Guide is a large file, be patient while it downloads)

Conservation

The real purpose of Sierra Club outings, which began in 1901, is to follow John Muir’s example of bringing more people into the fold of protecting the earth’s ecology. Muir wrote, “if people could be got into the woods, even for once, to hear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forest preservation would vanish.”

During our time on the trip, we will discuss Sierra Club history, public lands background, the challenges they face, and what the Sierra Club is doing to protect them. We will also discuss some of the most pressing conservation issues that are affecting Alaska today.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.