I lived in Alaska for nearly 5 years and even living there only saw the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis a few special times. Well I have some great news, it turns out you don't need to travel all the way to Alaska to see the dancing colorful lights in the sky. The Idaho panhandle provides some stellar views of the Northern Lights when the conditions are right. Scroll down to read about an upcoming Northern Light Show in Idaho.

A travel website called Visit the USA listed the top 5 places in the country to see the Northern Lights and The Idaho Panhandle National Forest was second only to Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The site says, "Idaho probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when thinking of the northern lights, which is part of what makes each sighting over Priest Lake and the Idaho Panhandle National Forest such an incredible treat. During the winter, these locations, which are about 80 kilometers south of the Canadian border and 150 kilometers northeast of Spokane, Washington, offer the dark, clear skies ideal for northern lights viewing. The aurora often reflects off the lake, providing a special mirrored perspective of nature’s light show."

Photographers visit from all over when the area is expecting the Aurora Borealis because the photo ops are unbelievable. I mean really, just check some of these out...

While usually the prime time to see the Northern Lights from Idaho is September to March, there is a good chance that Northern Idaho will see color in the night sky over the next couple of weeks. According to Patch.com, "Northern Idaho residents should look to the skies this week, as the Northern Lights might streak across the northern part of the state, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Much of northern Idaho was rated as Kp 7, indicating there's a good chance for the state to see the lights."

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