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Alaska is arguably the U.S. state that is the most shrouded in mystery. Isolated from the continental U.S. by Canada, it’s difficult to reach, expensive to live in, and has few people living there. Unlike Hawaii, which is similarly separated from the rest of the U.S., Alaska doesn’t have year-round sun and tropical beaches to lure in tourists. However, Alaska boasts some of the most unique and gorgeous mountain scenery in the world, making it a truly unforgettable vacation spot.
If you’ve ever thought about what it might be like to go to the Arctic Circle, the northernmost place in the world, now is the best time to do it. Airlink Alaska is your portal to some of the 49th state’s best-kept secrets, offering guided tours of the Dalton Highway and more. For a trip that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, take a sojourn to northern Alaska and discover why thousands of tourists have begun flocking to this great state.
Why Go to the Arctic Circle?
The Arctic Circle is the northernmost part of the planet, a sparsely-inhabited land of extreme temperatures and natural beauty. Sprawling across Alaska, Russia, Canada, Greenland, and the fringes of Scandinavia, the Arctic Circle is distinguished by extremely cold winters, cool summers, and massive shifts in day length: during the summer, the sun never sets, and during the winter, it never rises.
Its extreme location means that the Arctic Circle is host to countless flora, fauna, and landscapes that cannot be seen anywhere else. The Alaskan interior is known for its tall, rugged mountains, such as Denali (Mount McKinley), as well as rivers, lakes, and glaciers. Because much of the region lacks human inhabitants, the Arctic Circle boasts some of the largest tracts of unspoiled terrain in the world.
In addition to this, tourists flock to Alaska and other Arctic locales for the aurora borealis, also commonly known as the Northern Lights. The aurora borealis is a natural light phenomenon created by solar wind, the natural particles emitted by the sun. Auroras occur due to disturbances in the magnetosphere, which is generated by the Earth’s magnetic poles and protects the planet from harmful radiation. They appear as a dazzling array of colors in the night sky.
While auroras can theoretically occur anywhere on the globe (and have occasionally been spotted in places such as New Orleans), the only place to consistently see them is the Arctic or Antarctic Circles. This is because this is where the Earth’s magnetic poles are located. Additionally, due to its sparse population, the Arctic Circle lacks the light pollution that spoils night views in cities and other heavily-populated places, making viewing the Northern Lights much easier.
The Northern Lights is most easily observed from mid-August to mid-April due to shorter days and clear skies at night. During the summer, there is too much daylight to see auroras much of the time, with many regions of Alaska experiencing perpetual twilight and day lengths of 20 hours or more. You need darkness in order to maximize your chances of witnessing the aurora borealis.
Airlink Alaska Tours
All that said, journeying to Alaska yourself—particularly to its most remote regions—is not a light undertaking. Due to Alaska’s isolation, traveling is costly, and the state’s extreme climate and lack of development can make solo adventuring dangerous for the unprepared traveler. This is particularly true on the Dalton Highway, much of which is unpaved, sparsely inhabited, and takes you through regions of Alaska where the weather can turn on a dime.
If you want to visit the Arctic Circle, you’ll want a tour guide who can keep you safe and also fill you in on the history and science of the region. Airlink Alaska offers guided tours of the Dalton Highway and Arctic Circle based out of Fairbanks, the central city of the Alaskan interior. Their tours are guaranteed to make your Alaskan experience a comfortable and safe one.
Airlink Alaska offers a number of tours of the Arctic Circle, each catered to your specific needs. Its Northern Lights tours will take you out to Murphy Dome and other secluded, high-altitude locations so you can view the aurora borealis surrounded by nature. Note that while there is no guarantee that the Northern Lights will appear on any given day, the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that anyone who stays in Fairbanks for three days or more has a 90 percent chance of witnessing an aurora.
In addition to this, Airlink Alaska offers a guided summer tour of the Dalton Highway, the primary artery connecting Fairbanks to the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay, the northernmost inhabited location in the U.S. Airlink Alaska’s day tour stops at a number of Alaskan landmarks, including the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Finger Mountain, and the Yukon River Bridge. Visitors will have the opportunity to have their picture taken at the Arctic Circle Monument, commemorating their journey to one of the most remote regions of the world.
See the Northern Lights
Alaska is a truly unique place that attracts a truly unique type of visitor. It doesn’t have warm beaches and tropical weather like many common vacation destinations. Even in the summer, it can experience snowstorms and other extreme weather events. Much of it is dangerous to travel alone due to wildlife, climate, and lack of human habitation. However, its remoteness gives it some of the most memorable sights of any place in the world.
The Northern Lights, the Dalton Highway, and many more natural and manmade wonders make Alaska one of the most interesting places to visit in the U.S. With an experienced tour guide at your side, you’ll get even more fun out of your Alaskan getaway. If you’ve ever been curious about what America’s northernmost state has to offer, check out Airlink Alaska’s website and see how they can help you. Whether you want to see the Northern Lights or other Alaskan landmarks, they can help make your vacation one of the best you’ll ever have.
Click here to visit Airlink Alaska.
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