Midnight Sun

For the first time summer visitor to Alaska, experiencing the midnight sun could in of itself be the highlight of the trip. The midnight sun is a phenomenon during the summer months in which the sun remains visible through most of the night around the Arctic Circle. The sun can, in fact, remain visible for all 24 hours of the day north of the Arctic Circle. Winter months experience polar night, which is when the sun stays below the horizon for most of the day.

In the movie "Insomnia," detective Will Dormer, played by Al Pacino, struggles to get to sleep despite the bright summer sun piercing through the cracks around the shades in his hotel room. The image of Pacino desperately taping blankets around the windows and taking other measures to get the darkness he needs to fall asleep is a fitting one for summertime life in Alaska - but only in the far north. Alaska's northernmost town, Barrow, which lies above the Arctic Circle, enjoys nearly continuous daylight for two months in the summer and a corresponding lack of daylight for two months in winter. Even south-of-the-circle residents find the winter sun lacking, as it hovers in the sky for only a few hours, providing very little warmth.

Most of Alaska lies below the Arctic Circle however, and the amount of sunlight hours decreases as one travels south. Therefore, most of Alaska experiences low-angle daytime light in the winter and longer days in the summer, with sunset close to midnight. Low-angle light produces spectacular effects as it rises and sets over the mountains, flooding the peaks with alpenglow. A December day in Anchorage means only about five hours of daylight, and residents tend not to start work before 10 am, and then they head back home around three in the afternoon. They make up for it during the summer solstice, however, when you can read a book by the slowly setting sun at dusk, which is as late as one in the morning.

To take advantage of the long summer days, most plan Alaska hunting and fishing trips for the summer or early fall, which correspond with most regulatory season openings. But to avoid the crowds during fall, spring and winter offerings (such as the Northern Lights), it's worth it to investigate off-peak-season travel opportunities.

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