WHERE CAN YOU SEE NORTHERN LIGHTS

The Northern Lights can rarely be view from with in the city limits of Fairbanks and then the colors are not bright as they are washed out by the over-glow of the city lights. It helps to get a good distance from Fairbanks where there is dark sky and a panoramic view of the Northern Sky as that is where you most often see Northern Light.

AURORA HUNTING

Aurora viewing is like hunting animals, in that it is totally unpredictable with no guarantee you will be successful. That is part of the thrill of it, that you were lucky enough to see good Aurora. Most people who really want to see Aurora do not depend on just one night to see it. Forecasts as to the Aurora activity and cloud coverage are not always correct.
DO NOT BE A CLOUD WATCHER. People who pay attention to these forecasts are people who very offten do not get to see the Aurora. Weather Forecasts for Fairbanks do not apply to the valley that has its own weather, where Chandalar Ranch is located. More than half the time when it is cloudy in Fairbanks, it will be clear in this valley. Cloud coverage can change hourly and from location to location. If you wait for a totaly clear sky you may not see Aurora during your stay. The Aurora forecast given by the Geophysical Institute is on a scale from 1 to 10. This scale is deceptive in that I have never seen a forecast over four. Three is great and four is fantastic. But I have also seen nights when the forecast was a four and there was no Aurora. So, coming to Alaska to see Aurora is not for people who want a guarantee, a natural phonoma can not be guaranteed. It is for those who are willing to take a chance to see one of the world's greatest natural phonoma.

Recommondation from Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau

SEE NORTHERN LIGHTS

ALASKA NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR offers one of the best viewing locations at a comfortable Alaskan Style Lodge.
YOUR HOSTS, Keith and Velma Koontz are the owner operators of CHANDALAR RANCH located 25 miles from Fairbanks. Velma is Yupik Eskimo and Keith is a naturalist and a Master Guide, both add to your experiencing an evening with real Bush Alaskans. The price of the Tour including transportation to and from Fairbanks is $90 which
is a comparable price with other local Aurora Tours, plus.....

ALASKA NATIVE CULTURE

As an extra attraction at no extra cost, a Native Culture Show with live Indian Hoop Dancing and a presentation about the many diverse Native Cultures in Alaska. The presentation include videos produced by the presenter Ben Boyd who has a Masters Degree in Cultural Documentation / Video Production from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

YOUR GUIDE, "Brother to the Wolf" (Ben Boyd) is an Alaska Mountain Man who has lived a Traditional Native Way of Life in the remote Athabascan Indian Villages of Alaska. He made his living hunting, fishing, trapping and his only transportation was a sled dog team. He has been an Indian Hoop Dancer since the age of six and now at age 69 is one of the oldest performing Hoop Dancers in the World. He will not only be your Guide for Aurora viewing but also persent a Native Culture Show. Below is a video of the dance that he will perform live for you.