Where To See The Northern Lights
In Minnesota
As an avid traveler and bucket list enthusiast, seeing the Northern Lights has been high of my list for several years. I chased them in Iceland but our tour ended up being rained out.
I hoped to see them while dog sledding in Sweden but we weren’t so lucky.
It finally took the coronavirus pandemic to bring me home to Minnesota where I learned you can actually see them in my home state!
I was so busy chasing adventures all the across the world, I failed to notice the epic-ness right here in my own backyard.
So if you’re wondering where to see the Northern Lights in Minnesota, let me show you where to go, where to stay and how to prepare for your trip!
Join a Facebook group for updates!
If you’re serious about trying to spot the Northern Lights in Minnesota, the first thing I would do is join this Facebook group!
In the group, people will share their best tips, locations and possible upcoming solar activities.
In Minnesota, the best time to see the Northern Lights tends to be 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Some of the lodges up north claim the best months for visibility are April, August, September, and October since they are less cloudy. However, it was February when I saw the Northern Lights in Minnesota!
Increase Your Chances
Here are the simplest ways to increase your chances.
- Download an app which will give you push notifications for nights when they may be visible
- Wait for a clear night. No matter how strong the solar activity is, you won’t see it if it’s super cloudy.
- Go north for better odds. (Towns like Ely, Duluth, Grand Marais etc.)
- Stay somewhere that has really dark skies at night.
- Make sure you have a north-facing view. (Just check your phone’s compass to make sure you are facing due north.)
- If possible, get to a higher elevation where you can see over the tree line.
- If you can’t get to a higher elevation, try to get to the end of a dock on a lake with an expansive view of the northern horizon.
Northern Minnesota is a common place for people to see the northern lights. It’s totally possible you can see them here by following these simple steps!
Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge
The first time I ever saw the Northern Lights in Minnesota, I was hosting a trip with my tour company (Wanderlust Group Trips) in partnership with Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge in Ely.
Ely is a small but scenic town located roughly 4 hours north of Minneapolis.
Wintergreen does multi-day dog sledding packages that I highly recommend. The food and lodging is fantastic!
After a super fun day out in the wilderness with the sled dogs, we came back to our beautiful cabin.
Our guides had arranged for us a bonfire outside with the option of camping overnight on the frozen lake under the stars.
So that’s exactly what we did! We camped out under the stars on a frozen lake with several of the sled dogs while the Northern Lights danced above us.
It was thrilling!
During my second Ely trip, the Northern Lights came on so suddenly, I didn’t even have time to set up my camera and tripod. We captured some photos with an iPhone 13 on night mode.
Read: DOG SLEDDING IN MINNESOTA: GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS WEEK TWO
You can watch a recap of my dog sledding + Northern Lights trip here:
Gunflint Lodge
One of the best places to go for prime Northern Lights viewing is Gunflint Lodge at the end of the scenic byway, Gunflint Trail.
It’s so far north, you’re nearly to Canada.
But it’s remote location in the woods is ideal to keep you far from the artificial city lights.
Read my complete guide to Gunflint Lodge here!
Northern Lights are impossible to guarantee and unfortunately the year of 2020 has been a solar minimum.
So while the workers who live out at Gunflint Lodge have seen the Northern Lights hundreds of times, the best way to try and predict which night they will be strong is to monitor through the site SpaceWeather.com.
You can sign up for text message alerts for when they will be visible in the area.
You can also download an app which will give you push notifications.
Even if your trip results in no Northern Lights, the milky way is gorgeous and bright this far out in the country!
But if you’re fortunate enough to travel on a day when activity is high, you can see the lights perfectly over the water from the dock or even from your lakeside cabin which is perfectly positioned.
Minnesota Northern Lights Package
When there is an expected spike in activity, Gunflint Lodge offers a 3 night, 4 day package for guests who are hoping to see the Aurora.
The Northern Lights package includes:
- Accommodations in a lakeside fireplace cabin
- All meals from dinner night of check in through breakfast check out morning in Justine’s at Gunflint Lodge
- All guided Naturalist activities, including a Northern Lights presentation and a guided night hike
Book your Northern Lights package here.
What time can you expect to see the Northern Lights?
There is no set time that the lights will appear and dance across the sky. It can happen anytime after it’s dark.
If you’re monitoring a weather app or website, they may be giving real time updates. Keep in mind, they aren’t always 100% accurate.
But if it’s a night where activity is relatively low, plan to just check occasionally from your cabin’s window.
However if there is a high chance, I would get situated outside with hot cocoa and a blanket to wait it out! Bundle up and come prepared to wait. If you’re into photography, have your camera on a tripod ready to go.
Northern Lights Photography Tips:
- Using a tripod is a must!
- Use your widest lens to take in the view
- With your camera on manual set your aperture to f/2.8, it’s considered the best aperture setting for Northern Lights!
- ISO between 800-3200.
- Focus on your subject. If you’re only shooting the sky, use infinity focus.
- Set your camera to a 2 or 10 second timer. This prevents the camera from moving when you hit the button. You can also use a shutter release cable.
- Leave the lens open for 10+ seconds.
Good luck in your search for the Northern Lights in Minnesota! I hope you get to see them!
Check the video of my stay at Gunflint Lodge!
Thank you to Gunflint Lodge for hosting me during my stay. As always, thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Save on Pinterest for later!
More on Minnesota:
- GUNFLINT LODGE: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE ULTIMATE MINNESOTA ADVENTURE
- COVINGTON INN: SPEND THE NIGHT ON ST. PAUL’S HISTORIC TOWBOAT TURNED BED & BREAKFAST
- PELLET ISLAND: A MUST-DO TREK FOR THE ADVENTUROUS MINNESOTAN
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