12 Reasons to Visit Alaska in the Winter (from a local)

Alaska in the winter months has a sort of magic that you just won’t find in the summer. Only the heartiest stay here. Locals and a few brave tourists can be found fat tire biking, winter hiking, and enjoy the short days.

And maybe you want to be one of those people too!

As someone who grew up in Alaska and lived here as an adult, I’ve experienced 25 winters here, so I know a thing or two about exploring Alaska in the winter months.

Without further ado, here are some compelling reasons you should consider a winter visit to the Last Frontier.

1. There aren’t Many Tourists

There’s a dramatic shift in activity once tourist season ends. From November through late March Alaska is mostly a locals spot. So if you visit in the winter, you’ll be some of the few tourists to visit. There’s no motorhomes on the road, not as long of a wait for restaurants, and more availability at hotels.

One thing people may not realize is that Alaska can still be pricey in the winter months. Vehicle rentals will cost less and often Airbnb’s are more affordable. But if you’re staying at a ski area or place with winter activities you’ll still find high prices as accommodations will be limited.

But there are still deals to be found and you can definitely find off-peak pricing, especially in Anchorage and Fairbanks.

2. You Can Snowmobile with Denali Views

Snowmobiling, or snowmachining as we Alaskans call it, is a fun and adrenaline producing winter activity. It’s hugely popular here.

I HIGHLY recommend booking this tour out of Willow (near Talkeetna). It’s a 3 hours tour that starts and ends in Willow, about 2 hours north of Anchorage.

3. Experience Darkness and Winter Solstice

Alaska loses light at a dramatic pace, up to 5 1/2 minutes a day, leading up to winter solstice on December 21st. Then light starts to gain at a very slow (almost nominal) pace before picking up quickly in February and March.

All this to say that between November and February it just feels dark and cold. And dark. Did I mention dark?

On December 21st, Anchorage gets 5 hours 27 minutes of daylight and Fairbanks only gets 3 hours 41 minutes of daylight.

But these are your views during this time of year. And if you’re not a morning person like me, you can enjoy the fact that you’ll see the sunrise finally!

4. Watch the Northern Lights Dance in the Sky

With all the darkness in the winter, there’s a lot of opportunity to witness the northern lights, especially in the so-called drier months. Many argue that March is the best time to visit and I tend to agree. The weather is slightly less brutal and there’s typically less cloud coverage.

However, there can be clear skies anytime in the winter months and there’s no hard and fast rule that guarantees you’ll see the lights.

If you want to learn more about how you can see the northern lights in Alaska, you can read one of these articles next:

10 Incredible Places to Stay for the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska [2026]
How to See the Northern Lights from Anchorage, Alaska

5. Ski and Snowboard with Locals

If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding but get sick of the crowds, Alaska is one of the last places in the US where you’ll find the lift lines are mostly locals. What many people don’t realize is that there aren’t many ski resorts in Alaska. In fact, there are only 7 main ski resorts in the entire state and one of those is a small hill on a military base.

Anchorage is the best place to base yourself for great skiing.

Alyeska is the largest ski resort in the state and only about 45 minutes south of Anchorage. This area gets a LOT of snow, averaging around 430 inches a year, and would be my recommendation if you’re flying all the way to Alaska to ski. You have all the modern amenities needed; ski/snowboard rentals, fat tire bike rentals, a resort (yes, ONE), and many Airbnb’s that book up months out.

Alyeska has night skiing so you can make your ski day even longer and run into the night. There are only 7 ski lifts here with the tallest taking you right up to the top of the moutnain. Even though it’s small, there are some steep runs and you can have fun all day here.

If you want something smaller, cheaper, and more local, head to Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage or Skeetawk in Hatcher Pass.

6. Enjoy Popular Restaurants Without the Lines

This is honestly one of my favorite perks about being in Alaska in the winter months. At least in the main towns such as Anchorage and Fairbanks, the touristy places turn into a locals paradise as the crowds wane.

Even some of the smaller towns that seem to mostly exist for tourists have a few places remain open all winter long. However, you likely won’t be visiting these small towns in the winter months as the main activities remain around

7. Experience the Aurora Winter Train

The Alaska Railroad runs year round, but in the winter months the only train running is the Aurora Winter Train. This is a 12 hours journey that runs between Anchorage and Fairbanks on select days. If you visit in late February or March, you can enjoy much more daylight as you cross valleys, skirt rivers, and see the landscape covered in white.

It’s a long train day so I recommend only doing it one-way. Check out my 10 day winter guide to see how you can add the winter train to your itinerary.

8. Warm Up at the Alyeska Nordic Spa

In 2022 the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood (45 minutes north of Anchorage) opened a gorgeous 50,000 square foot Nordic Spa with enough saunas, pools, and steam rooms to keep you busy all day. I’ve been more than five times now and can’t say enough good things about this place.

It’s set among these massive Sitka Spruce trees and completely tucked away. The entire idea is to do the ‘Nordic’ syle of sauna which follows in order of hot, cold, rest, and repeat.

You can book massage or other treatments and there’s a restaurant on-site. The restaurant is is a bit lackluster as the portions are rather small for the price but you have a good selection of healthy options.

This isn’t sponsored at all – I just love this place so much that I recommend adding it to any winter trip to Alaska! You can combine it with skiing at the Alyeska Resort and staying overnight right at the hotel too.

9. Try Fat Tire Biking

Fat tire biking is a HUGE winter sport in Alaska and there are rental options all over the state. In Anchorage you can rent from Pablo’s Bicycle Rentals or at a local shop in Girdwood. There are also many options available in Fairbanks too.

10. Ice Skate on a Frozen Lake

Nearly every lake (except some glacial fed lakes) freezes over in the winter months, and there are many lakes that turn into roads or ice highways. There are also many that are turned into a winter playground.

In Anchorage, my favorite location for ice skating is at Westchester Lagoon. You can rent gear at Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental.

11. Try Backcountry Skiing

Admittedly I have never skinned up a mountain and skiied down. But! It is an option if you’re into skiing. Hatcher Pass, about 90 minutes from Anchorage, has tons of trail options. There’s also sooo many Nordic skiing options such as Kincaid Park in Anchorage, the 13.1 mile trail along Eklutna Lake, the trails in Chugiak, and so many more.

Along Turnagain there are more skiing options and you can also do heli skiing as well.

12. Hike on a Glacier

Most people don’t think of hiking in Alaska in the winter months, but it’s definitely possible! You can either book a helicopter tour or head out on your own.

Prime hiking times are when the snowy trails are set and it’s still cold. Spring time can be a really dangerous time to hike due to avalanche risk so I recommend hiking in the height of winter and sticking to well marked trails.

If you’re interested in a helicopter tour, we booked this one out of Girdwood (where the ski area Alyeska is located) and I still think about it today. We saw at least 10 moose in a valley we passed through. 10 out of 10 experience!

More Alaska Winter Articles

If this article got you excited to visit Alaska in the winter months, check out my guide to planning an Alaska winter trip or my 7 day Alaska winter trip itinerary.