See The Northern Lights In Yellowknife, Canada
Seeing the Northern Lights is such a bucket list experience for us and WOW it did not disappoint, however there are definitely some things you need to know to manage your expectations, be able to spot them, and to make the most of your experience.
Northern Lights VS Southern Lights VS Aurora
The Northern / Southern Lights are caused by solar wind – particles from the sun entering the earths atmosphere at very high speeds. The Northern Lights are called as such as the are found in the northern hemisphere, and the Southern Lights are called this as they are found in the southern hemisphere. Both can be classified as auroras however there are different names for the auroras based on where they are located (aurora borealis for the northern hemisphere and aurora australis for those in the southern hemisphere).
Indicators For Northern Lights
Kp: this is the level of geomagnetic activity and ranges from 0-9 (0 being the lowest and weakest activity, 9 being extremely high and strong activity levels). The higher the Kp, the better chances you’ll have to see the Northern Lights AND the better chance they will have more colour to them.
Clear Skies: check the weather forecast! Clear skies are crucial to seeing the Northern Lights which is why you can never be 100% sure you’ll see them.
Applications: We downloaded the application Aurora that gives you an overview of the Kp, cloud coverage, and likelihood of you seeing them. Whilst it was a good starting point to work with, we didn’t find it all that reliable (but this was in September when the likelihood is less than in winter anyways).
Spotting The Northern Lights
The Northern Lights, in some conditions, may just look like a thin / faint cloud. When we first saw it, we didn’t think anything of it. However, that cloud, in the right viewing area, can develop QUICKLY into dancing lights right above you. The whole experience can be over within the hour and there are high periods and low periods of activity that can drastically change your experience.
The best way to tell if you can spot some sightings of Northern Lights, in our opinion, is to hold up your phone camera to it. The phone camera, once you take a long exposure picture, should show the Northern Lights as tinted green (as all the pictures in this blog post show). Or, if you’re lucky, you’ll have brighter Northern Lights right away which will make it easier to notice them and they’ll immediately be dancing right on top of you!
Northern Lights In Yellowknife, Canada
Yellowknife, in the northern part of Canada, is one of the best places to see Northern Lights in the world and is often referred to as the “Northern Lights Capital” of the world.
Yellowknife is a great place to see the Northern Lights due to the location. They are located close to (and even partially in) the Arctic Circle and the region sees a lot of solar activity throughout the year. They also have a pretty temperate weather climate which means less obstacles to interfere with your viewing chances.
Best Time To See The Northern Lights
You can see the Northern Lights in Yellowknife specifically are as early as late August through until late April, it all depends on the solar activity levels.
If you’re looking for the true Canadian experience, we would suggest visiting in the late / early timeframe of the year (December – March). This will give you the best chance to see the Northern Lights and it is darker earlier which means the Northern Lights can be spotted way earlier than during the late summer months. However, the best aurora activity usually happens later in the evening.
How To See The Northern Lights In Yellowknife
There are some great viewing points to see the Northern Lights, such as the Pilots Monument in the middle of old town, Kam Lake Boat Launch, or Giant Mine Boat Launch.
However, we would really recommend doing a tour. The guides know the absolute best places to see the Northern Lights. Because of their expertise in the area, there will be a higher chance of you spotting the Northern Lights and getting the best views! If you’re going to make it all the way to Yellowknife, you may as well get the full experience. Here are a few tours that have different options based on what you’re looking for:
- Night Tour To See Best Viewing Spots Aurora Tour
- 3 Day, 2 Night Tour With Airport Transfer And Hotels Aurora Tour
- 4 Day, 3 Night Tour With Airport Transfer, Hotels, And Winter Gear Aurora Tour
- 5 Day, 4 Night Tour With Airport Transfer And Hotels Aurora Tour
Note that a lot of these tours do not offer cancellation / refunds if you don’t see the Northern Lights (which is reasonable considering the amount of planning and effort that is required for this). So having a longer tour option increases your chance of seeing them. In addition, make sure to book your flights well in advance as these bookings can get full!
Getting To Yellowknife
To get to Yellowknife, especially during the winter months, you’re going to need to fly. There is a road that connects Yellowknife with the city of Edmonton, but that is one LONG road trip (we are talking about 15 hours of driving and not many stops along the way) and winter driving in Canada can be extremely harsh especially in the north.
Once you’re in Yellowknife you could rent a car, but if you’re visiting in winter it’s likely not necessary as many of the activities you’ll be doing will likely start from in town. Yellowknife isn’t a big city, so you can either walk or, if it gets too cold, grab a quick taxi ride. There are many restaurants near the Old Town and Downtown Area so unless you’re staying somewhere more remote, most things should be in walking distance! If you’re visiting near the end of summer however things will definitely be more walkable but if you want to get out to some of the hiking areas you’re going to need a car!
Other Activities
What you can do in Yellowknife depends on when you visit. If you’re visiting during the summer, consider tours that will take you out into the wilderness such as hiking or kayaking!
- Cameron Falls Hiking Tour
- Yellowknife Bucket List City Highlights Tour
- Seven Day Kayak Tour (During Summer – Potential To See The Northern Lights!)
If you’re visiting during winter, tours out in the snow are a must! It will be cold so bring your best gear. Here are some options:
Our Experience
Our personal experience happened on a random Saturday night at the beginning of September. We were only in Yellowknife for a few weeks for work, and had just walked outside on a clear night to say goodbye to our friends.
Then one of our friends, who had experience with the Northern Lights before, spotted a super faint cloud-type shape in the distance and noticed it may be the Northern Lights. After holding up our phones, we quickly confirmed this! As it was everyone elses first experience we had SO much adrenaline and immediately hopped in the car to head to a better viewing location away from the light pollution where we were staying.
We headed down a gravel road to the nearest lake viewing spot, and got to see the Northern Lights reflect off the still lake. Although we were a bit spooked by being out in the middle of nowhere in a place with lots of wild animals, we stayed close to the car and tried to block out the scary thoughts!
We were here for about an hour just mesmerized by the lights. It’s crazy how quick they can change from looking like the faint clouds to literally almost dancing and moving so quickly right above you. The cycle of cloud to dancing formations of Northern Lights happened multiple times so almost every time we thought our viewing experience was over, another one began!
We did also head over to the Pilots Monument but by that time the lights had dimmed off, but you were able to see how wide spread they went. The viewpoint down by the lakes were definitely better spots for viewing though.
Happy Hunting!
A little bit of luck, some research, and preparation will hopefully help you have the best Northern Lights experience as well as experience the diversity of what Canada has to offer. Be sure to check out our other blog posts for more experiences and information!
