7 Best Places in Maine, New Hampshire to See the Northern Lights

Let's start at the basics. You've heard it on the news before, and you've seen the beautifully-colored photos on Instagram before, but what does it all mean?

What are Northern lights?

According to loc.gov,

"When a coronal mass ejection collides with the magnetic field, it causes complex changes to happen to the magnetic tail region. These changes generate currents of charged particles, which then flow along lines of magnetic force into the Polar Regions. These particles are boosted in energy in Earth’s upper atmosphere, and when they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, they produce dazzling auroral light".

Why is Maine one of the best states to see the northern lights?

As timeout.com describes it,

"As our country's most northern and eastern state, Maine provides excellent chances of seeing the Northern Lights, especially since it's heavily forested with very low levels of light pollution"

Then, thetravel.com confirms the reasons why Maine is such an ideal spot to catch the lights, and it's simply because we're so close to Canada.

"Given its proximity to Canada, Maine makes for a great place to view the Northern Lights. And with Maine having some of the darkest skies in the nation, several spots make for great places to watch the Aurora Borealis in all of its glory".

On their list of 10 Places to See The Northern Lights In The US, the state of Maine comes in hot at #7, while New Hampshire comes in at #3. Within both states, here's where thetravel.com suggests would be most beneficial.

Maine - Katahdin Woods & Water National Monument, Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, Acadia National Park, Baxter State Park

NH - Mount Washington, Moore Dam, Lake Winnipesaukee

A suggestion: if you visit Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument, you will most likely get a great shot at seeing the northern lights without any other "light pollution" in the sky.

As timeout.com says,

"The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary—Mount Katahdin being an impressive mountain in Baxter State Park, the tallest in the state—and throughout Maine, stargazing events take place to celebrate the “Northern Lights enthusiast’s paradise,” according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine".