Plan To See The Northern Lights Soon; The #1 Idaho Spot To View
For many of us who keep a mental bucket list of things we want to see and do before we die, the Aurora Borealis ("Northern Lights") is at the top of a lot of these lists. I have never seen the lights, and for those that don't like traveling long distances, there's one spot up north that annually gives Idahoans the best view of them anywhere in the state.
The Northern Lights easily land in the top five on my bucket list. If I had to quickly come up with the other four, I'd go with visits to Ireland, Scotland, Italy and the Turks and Caicos Islands. My substitute selection would be a private suite at Lincoln Financial Field to see my beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
For those that want to perhaps make plans to see the Northern Lights this fall or winter, and can't travel to Alaska or Canada, then it sounds like a 10-hour drive northwest from Twin Falls might be your best bet at checking it off your bucket list.
Priest Lake is located 640 miles from Twin Falls, and can be found in the northern part of the panhandle. In 2017, the travel website, Only in Your State, highlighted the lake as the most "mesmerizing place in Idaho to see the Northern Lights." A lot of locals I've met in southern Idaho have never traveled to this part of the state, so a trip up gives you an opportunity to also get some exploring in.
I've always envied those people you see posting videos about chasing the Northern Lights. With two kids, and a mortgage, the only thing I'm chasing these days is my next pay check.
The best time to view the lights I've read is late-fall (November), through early-spring (March). If you still have some vacation time left this year, maybe consider a drive up to Priest Lake around the holidays. For some other great places to see the lights, click here.