Where to See the Northern Lights in Canada

There are plenty of things to see and do in Banff National Park, but the opportunity to see the northern lights is one of the biggest draws for many tourists.

The park offers an abundance of excellent, secluded spots to watch the show, including remote mountaintops and shimmering lakes, but lucky visitors might even get the chance to see them from the town itself.

The northern lights can be seen here all throughout the year, but the best time to visit is during the winter, when the nights are long and the magnetosphere is at its most active. Map

Not many people outside of Canada have ever heard of Churchill, Manitoba, but it's one of the top three places in the world to see the northern lights thanks to its location directly under the auroral oval.

One of the best things about Churchill is that you don’t have to brave the cold to watch the night sky; instead, relax in one of the comfortable covered Aurora Domes. The lights are best here between January and March, but they can sometimes be seen in the summer as well. Weather permitting, head to Goose Creek to build a bonfire and admire the show. Map

The city of Edmonton, Canada is notorious for its cold winters, and although not many visitors are willing to brave the cold, the winter months offer one of the country's best opportunities to see the splendor of the northern lights.

The aurora can sometimes be seen from the city, but the light pollution often dims the show and visitors who want the best possible view are advised to head to a location outside the city. The lights tend to be brightest shortly before and after midnight, and they can often be found simply by looking to the north.

Most people assume that you have to head north to see the northern lights, but a spectacular show can be seen from the country's eastern coast as well. Found on the coast of Newfoundland, Gros Morne National Park is the second largest national park in Canada and one of the country's best-kept secrets when it comes to aurora viewing spots. The lights can be seen from almost everywhere in the park; truly adventurous visitors can even bring a tent, head into the back country to find a secluded camping spot, and spend the night watching the show. Map

As the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit is one of the best places for visitors to base themselves when exploring the remote northern territories of Canada. It also happens to be an excellent viewing location for the northern lights; they're very common between the months of October and April, but visitors will have the most opportunities to see them in December, when some days have as few as 4 hours of daylight.

There isn't as much tourist infrastructure here as there is in many other parts of the country, but there's also very little light pollution and plenty of remote viewing spots. Map

Although not as well known as neighboring Banff National Park, Jasper National Park has just as many reasons to visit. The area is one of the largest dark sky preserves in the world, meaning that artificial light pollution is restricted so that the beauty of the night sky can be seen as clearly as possible.

The best time for aurora spotters to visit is between September and May, but be aware that the park and the town are typically very busy in mid-October as this is when the Jasper Dark Sky Festival takes place.

Also known as Mount John Laurie, Mount Yamnuska is located right on the outskirts of the Rocky Mountain Range and is one of the first mountains you'll encounter when driving west from Calgary. The mountain is easily recognizable thanks to its steep rock face, and the summit sits at 7,350 feet. Reaching the summit of the mountain requires a fairly strenuous climb that is not typically recommended in the dark, but there are plenty of good viewing spots near the base of the mountain that will allow you to marvel at its sheer rock face while enjoying a spectacular aurora show. Map

Found on the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Torngat Mountains are located inside a national park that shares their name. The land is the traditional home of the Inuit people, and the peaks here are some of the highest in eastern Canada.

The best way to see the northern lights here is from one of the remote igloo dome base camps; plenty of professionally guided tours are available. The area is extremely remote, and visitors will also have the chance to see animals like caribou, seals, and even polar bears in their natural habitat. Map

Whitehorse is the biggest city in Northern Canada, and it also happens to be an incredible place to see the aurora. The city is completely surrounded by wilderness, and there are plenty of tour operators prepared to take visitors to the many incredible aurora watching locations scattered throughout the area. Depending on your interests, you can watch the show while staying at a well-equipped lodge, while enjoying the comfort of an outdoor hot tub, or while escaping the hustle and bustle of life in a remote backcountry cabin. The lights typically appear here between the middle of August and the middle of April. Map

Many people claim that Yellowknife is the top spot in the world to watch the northern lights, and once you visit, it's hard to argue with that claim.

The temperature here regularly drops down to 40° during the cold winter months, but that doesn’t deter intrepid adventurers who want to see the spectacular show of the aurora. It's best to watch the light show from outside the city limits if possible; tours are typically available in the winter and late autumn, and there's something to suit almost every taste and budget if you do your research. Map