Northern Lights in Vancouver 2024-2025

Many people put seeing northern lights on their bucket lists of life experiences. There's nothing strange here. A dance of lights enchants and makes you feel as if you are witnessing a miracle. Northern lights in Canada, British Columbia in particular, are especially beautiful.

Best Time to See the Northern Lights

British Columbia offers plenty of places to see the Northern Lights during the winter months, from December to March. Even the Metro Vancouver area witnesses the natural phenomenon a few times per year despite light pollution and a relatively southern location. The odds of seeing the northern lights in Vancouver are not that high. But if you spend a winter there and keep track of aurora alerts, your chances of seeing the lights are stronger. Sometimes, the lights are not visible to the naked eye. Thus, good-quality photo equipment would be a nice idea.

Best Way to Check the Aurora Forecast

The most reliable way to check the aurora forecast is by visiting the Space Weather Prediction Center on the NOAA website. This forecast predicts the likelihood of seeing the northern lights, considering factors like weather conditions, time of day, and solar activity. Some websites also offer subscription alerts to notify you of the best chances to view the aurora in your area.

Best Places to Witness the Northern Lights

Porteau Cove Provincial Park

If you're expecting the aurora borealis, it's best to leave the city behind. Porteau Cove Provincial Park, a beach area free from light pollution, is a great spot to view the northern lights. Located near the Sea to Sky Highway in Squamish, not far from Vancouver, the park sits on the most southerly fjord in North America, offering waterfront campsites with stunning views of Howe Sound and the surrounding mountains. The park is open year-round, and besides chasing the northern lights, visitors can enjoy activities like hiking, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Note that the day-use/picnic area gate is locked between 11 pm and 7 am.

Sakinaw Lake

If you're up for a couple of hours' drive, Sakinaw Lake on the Sunshine Coast offers another great spot for observing the illuminated skies. As one of the largest lakes in the area, it's surrounded by vacation cabins and boasts a boat launch with limited parking for cars with trailers. The lake is a haven for boating enthusiasts, often showcasing impressive water skiing displays. Along with the chance to see the northern lights, visitors can rent paddling equipment or bring their own kayak, canoe, or SUP to explore the lake's extensive shoreline.

Muncho Lake Provincial Park

For the best chance of seeing the northern lights, heading further north is your best bet. Northern BC is full of spots where residents regularly witness the aurora borealis. Muncho Lake Provincial Park, located near Fort Nelson along the Alaska Highway, is an ideal destination to catch nature's dazzling display. This park offers the tranquility and seclusion typical of the northern region, surrounded by some of the most breathtaking landscapes. Here, you can marvel at spectacular mountains, abundant wildlife, and vibrant wildflowers. The southern part of the park features the towering Folded Mountain, and the lake itself, with its cold, mineral-rich green waters, is home to lake trout, arctic grayling, bull trout, and whitefish.

Cypress Provincial Park

If you're looking to catch the northern lights without venturing too far from the city, Cypress Park is a great option. Situated like a ship's crow's nest high above Vancouver, Cypress is bordered by Howe Sound to the west, the ridge tops of Mount Strachan and Hollyburn Mountain to the north and east, and West Vancouver to the south. The park offers stunning views—on a clear day, you can see the sprawling Vancouver metropolitan area to the south, snow-capped Mount Baker to the southeast, and the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island across the Georgia Strait to the west. Cypress Park is a year-round destination with plenty to offer, from hiking, sightseeing, and photography to wilderness camping, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snow tubing, and snowshoeing.