Looking for an intimate Alaskan viewing experience away from the crowds? Look no further than our small group setting of only 10 people, offering an authentic, homey experience. Enjoy the comfort of our cedar log viewing lodge, complete with all amenities, as you take in the beauty of the aurora. Conveniently located in the interior of Alaska in Delta Junction, we offer our guests a peaceful, unpolluted location to fully enjoy the night sky. Our transportation options take the stress out of winter driving so you can relax and take in the experience. Our tours allow you to witness the natural phenomenon of the aurora under the dark skies of Alaska. In the rare event of unfavorable weather, we have the capability to go mobile to ensure you don't miss out on the lights. Join us for an unforgettable Alaskan adventure!
Posted By : lynnetter2024
My daughters and I chose Face The Outdoors because we found it was the only tour company in Fairbanks that gave us the option of viewing the aurora from the comfort of a lodge or chasing the lights, if necessary. Because this was our primary reason for visiting Fairbanks, we booked three consecutive nights with Face The Outdoors to increase our chances: one group tour and two private tours. We were in good hands from the moment Michael arrived at our downtown lodge for pickup. We met wonderful guests from around the world hoping to see the lights, and see them we did! Michael showed us how to set our cameras and patiently answered when we asked the same questions over and over. The second night at the lodge we watched an equally stunning but different light show. And the third night we had to chase, but a determined Michael found the lights and we saw yet another side of the beautiful aurora. Thank you, Michael, for an amazing trip to Fairbanks and for the fabulous photos you captured. I've already recommended your tour company to several of my friends.
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Posted On : 2024-05-18 13:18:12 
Posted By : Kelly_C
One of the most amazing experiences I've had in Alaska is going this tour. I'll be going again next year as well and bringing my daughter so she can experience it as well. Having the convenience of staying in beautiful warm lodge with snacks and beverages then going out to take pictures was everything to me. I highly recommend this and not just for first timers! Beautiful professional photos were taken.
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Posted On : 2024-05-11 15:16:44 
Posted By : patmW3079IA
We booked four nights with Face the Outdoors. It was such an awesome experience and Michael is very serious about fulfilling your dream to see the northern lights. We were very successful and got some awesome pictures. I would highly recommend. Michael and his company Face the Outdoors!
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Posted On : 2024-03-31 20:45:38
Posted By : Richard_D
Michael, our host and tour guide, is the best for Northern Lights viewing tour. He knows everything about it. And staying at his cozy and lovely log-cabin like house/lodge made it comfortable for us. I’m giving this tour a two thumbs up and the cost of tour is all WORTH it.
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Posted On : 2024-03-23 14:10:47
Posted By : janbaldry
Such a good time! Michael was cordial and very knowledgeable about auroras and cameras. He was up on the science of the Aurora.
The lodge where we waited for the aurora to appear was immaculate. We were picked up at our hotel and then drove for an hour and 45 minutes on snowy roads. I can confidently say his driving was safe and like it should be.. I highly recommend this company fot tours. You won’t be sorry.
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Posted On : 2024-02-05 23:14:25
Posted By : sge2024
I was encouraged by a friend to book with Face The Outdoors to see the Northern Lights. She had gone in March of 2023 and had an amazing time, so I had to follow suit. I wasn't really sure what to expect and went into the trip with very limited knowledge of photography or Northern Lights.
Our tour guide Michael was amazing! He is a great conversationalist and understands when to talk and just let mother nature do her thing.
He educated us on how he tracks the Northern Lights and if we have a chance to see them or not. You can tell he takes pride in helping everyone try and see the lights. He is completely upfront about sometimes people miss out on the lights because everything that needs to happen in nature didn't happen.
We booked this tour for two nights as my friend recommend it due to a better chance of at least seeing the lights on one of the nights.
Our first night, he picked us up at our hotel and we drove 2 hours to his house, along the way we were able to see a moose and he pulled over and pointed it out to us. Once we arrived at his place he got us all set up and went over how to use our phones and which camera settings to use.
We got to see the lights on the first night, it was there but nothing amazing. If Michael wasn't there we would of completely missed it. This our isn't like other tours. There isn't really a set time. In fact the lights were starting to show the right signs around 3 am when we would of normally headed out, but Michael asked us if we all wanted to stay for at least 1 more hour to see if the lights would come out even more. Unfortunately, they didn't come out while at his house, but on the drive back to Fairbanks, they popped up and he pulled over once again to the side of the road and we all piled out and saw the next round of lights around 5 am on the highway.
The best thing of the experience while we were waiting for the light was asking to toss boiling water up in the air at -36 temperature. He was more than happy to help us out with that. In fact he brought a rocket stove the 2nd night and we were able to get some awesome videos with the water vapors and the northern lights in it.
Our second night, it was really cloudy near his house and Fairbanks, so we decided to head north this time and at 9 pm instead of the previous night at 8 pm. We drove about an hour to the Alaska Pipeline and camped out to watch the lights. Within I think 45 minutes the first batch of lights happened and they were way better than the previous night. We stayed out there until about 2 am and headed back to the city. The lights were extremely active the entire time and we were completely satisfied with what we had seen.
He went above and beyond our expectations and the this tour was the best part of our trip. I highly encourage you to book with them. Michael is in constant communication with you to let you know about the weather.
I recommend you have a couple of days of flexibility so that if they have to move the tour date because of weather, you have that flexibility. In addition I would book multiple days because the lights are completely different each night.
I attached our photos that we took with just our iphone 15s. The photo that Michael sends you is way better.
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Posted On : 2024-01-31 00:20:07
Posted By : barbaratC6999OR
Our tour was amazing! The aurora did not show itself alot but when it danced in the sky it was beautiful. Mike is a great photographer and took a beautiful photo of us. His camera was always pointed to the skies to see what our eyes could not. He did a great job in explaining to us why that was. His home was warm and inviting to get out of the cold and well stocked with snacks and drinks. The aurora lights are unpredictable but Mike did everything in his power to ensure our experience was memorable. My husband and I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to view the auroras. From pickup to drop off, Mike was a great host! The chocolate chip cookies his wife made were a delicious bonus.
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Posted On : 2023-10-18 07:52:18
Posted By : Lan_W
My experience of observing aurora was amazing because I had an amazing tour guide, Michael. The aurora activity was reported strong from forecast at the night but we had a huge cloud hanging overhead. Without missing the opportunity Michael immediately decided to chase the aurora instead of waiting the clouds pass. He kept driving and driving until we came to the clear sky spot, that was 140 miles or 280 round trip miles! His willingness of going extra miles was amazing! I enjoyed every moment of the whole experience!
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Posted On : 2023-09-01 14:19:43
Posted By : S8295APannac
I did many private tours in Fairbanks (both Aurora watching and other activities), and Michael was the best guide I had by far. He is extremely knowledgeable, conscientious, and dedicated. We had cloud cover on the night I went, so Michael drove the whole night, hunting for patches of clear sky. He says he wants you to see the Aurora just as much as you want to see the Aurora, and it's true!
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Posted On : 2023-01-04 18:30:11
Posted By : Laureen B
Michael from Face the Outdoors just treated me to what was one of the most amazing experiences in my entire world-wide travel history and will undoubtedly go down as one of my best-ever travel experiences!! I spent the night Aurora watching with Michael on the small group experience that is offered. Michael communicated well and kept me well informed as to what to expect and what to wear given the extreme cold (-35). He picked me up right on time at my hotel in his nice, warm vehicle.
The ride to his home was a little over 90 minutes but passed quickly as he spent the time explaining the Northern Lights to me, including the various measures used to predict Auroral activity (hint-forget kp!). We saw some moose along the way, and Michael used the time to teach me some interesting facts about Alaska, the area we were going to, and a lot about the Aurora and Aurora photography. It was exciting to hear since we could see the lights starting to come out as we drove.
His home for the event was beautiful, comfortable, and perfect for Aurora watching!!! Large windows faced a huge field and a toasty fire, comfortable chairs and couches, along with a nice assortment of drinks - both hot and cold - and snacks were available for the taking.
And I was lucky enough to be treated to the show of a lifetime. I didn't understand that the lights didn't just come or go, they changed CONSTANTLY!! It could be bright and shimmering one minute and barely visible 2 minutes later.
That is the beauty of being at a fixed location instead of driving around. If in a van, the windows fog and eventually freeze up when it is this cold and you would need to be out of the van away from the lights at a place with clear views of the right area of the sky when the lights are active there. With wide open 365 degrees of vision from the field and the la the large house windows, we could just turn in circles and have wide-open views in every direction!! Unless it is cloudy or precipitating, and you need to get to a place with clearer skies, there is no advantage to driving around!!!
I was able to rest in a warm, comfortable house with hot cocoa, snacks, comfy chairs and a flush toilet when the lights quieted, maje use of the quiet times to get nice and warm in front of the fire and then head out again when we saw the Auroral activity pick up. Michael monitored the various parameters and was pretty good at predicting when the Auroral activity was likely to pick up. (No one can predict 100% what the lights will do!). We were able to head out when the activity was likelier to pick up, and it DID!! I was treated to shimmering curtains of light with green, blue, pink, and red colors at one point!!
Michael gave pointers on the photography aspects, and my pictures got better and better over the course of the night. Michael was patient and thoughtful, even at one point bringing a chair to the field for me as I had some trouble with my legs.
The lights lasted all night, and I was in wonder watching the lights change and repaint the sky several times an hour in all directions and overhead. I never understood prior to this night that the lights aren't just "on" or "off" but instead are constantly changing in intensity, color, position in the sky, and form. But you didn't need to go anywhere different to see them!!!! It was all right there so long as you were able to see open sky!! This allowed ample time for tripod setting up and moving around the field for the best backdrops and picture framing as the lights moved around the sky.
I am SO glad I picked this instead of a van trip and will most definitely be coming back!! It makes way more sense to see the lights this way, and my understanding is that, if due to weather conditions, you need to find open sky elsewhere, Michael will accomdate that and work hard using the apps he showed me to find clear skies and "chase" the lights as needed.
Thank you, Michael, for sharing your beautiful home, easy- going hospitality, and knowledge with me. It was the experience of a lifetime!! I only hope I can get back to Alaska to do it again!! If I do, it will be with Face the Outdoors!!! I can not give a stronger recommendation. In fact, there's an option to actually lodge right there through AirBnB, and I plan to do that next time as well!
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Posted On : 2022-12-24 21:34:28
