Best Places to See the Northern Lights in Madison, Wisconsin
I’ve traveled to Canada, Iceland, and Finland to see the northern lights… but the best aurora show I’ve ever witnessed was from my new midwest home in Madison, Wisconsin!
Though the northern lights are a rare sight in a place as far south as Madison, they can be very strong when they come around.
In the solar storms of November 2025, we went on an aurora-hunting trip through the best northern lights viewing spots in Madison, and in this post I’ll share all my favorites (plus lots of northern light viewing tips!)
TL;DR: The essential info about northern lights in Madison, WI
🗓️ How common: Very rare, 1 to 5 nights per year
📍 Where to see: Raymer’s Cove, Marshall Park, Cross Plains
📈 How to track: look for Kp equal or bigger to 6 at SpaceWeather.com
How common are northern lights in Madison?
Northern lights in Madison are very rare and usually only visible one to five days a year.
The aurora is only visible from the Madison area during major solar storms (Kp of 6 or larger), which are exceptional events.
Some of the more recent times northern lights were visible in Madison were in:
- April 2023
- March 2023
- May 2024
- October 2024
- November 2025
Most of the time, the lights are barely visible to the naked eye, though the November 2025 show I witnessed had incredibly bright lights!
Best places to see the northern lights in Madison, WI
Note: These nothern lights pictures are unedited. They were taken during different times throughout the same night, where the aurora strenght varied greatly.
1. Raymer’s Cove
Raymer’s Cove is a north-facing lakeview that remains a hidden gem for aurora watching in Madison!
Because this spot is on campus (quite near the Eagle Heights residences), it can be easily accessed by public transportation.
Nearby, there is also the famous Picnic Point, but its visiting hours end at 10PM, so I didn’t go there this time (though I’ll definitely check it out the next times the northern lights come to Madison)
2. Marshall Park
Marshall Park is another lakeview spot, and I found it very comfortable to watch the lights from the terrace of Marshall Boats.
Though the view from there is not exactly north-facing, it is still very good.
Light pollution from nearby poles and cars was quite minimal despite it being in such a central location in Madison.
3. Cross Plains State Park
Cross Plains is a short drive away from Madison, though it is far enough to escape a good chunk of the city’s light pollution.
We were a bit disappointed at first because the trees blocked the view and the cars caused a lot of light pollution. But once we found a hiking trail and walked away from the road, we ended up in an amazing spot to watch the aurora.
Because the hike brought us higher up, we could clearly see the north sky and the bright aurora, though a bit of the horizon was still blocked by trees.
Other good places to see the Northern Lights near Madison
The aurora only lasts so long, so we couldn’t explore all the areas we’d like to. We heard great things about the viewing conditions in three other places near Madison:
4. Mt Horeb
5. Cottage Grove Nature Parks
6. Token Creek County Park
Tips for successfully viewing the northern lights in Madison
A. Do not trust your eyes
When I first saw the northern lights from my home’s driveway, I showed it to my husband and he thought I was hallucinating!
Truth be told, most times the northern lights only look like a cloud with a very faint green or pink tint.
Unless you’re really looking for it, your eyes will often not notice the faint color and think it is simply a cloud!
The workaround is to point your phone towards the “cloud” and take a long-exposure picture. A 3-second exposure is enough to get the colorful tint you’re looking for.
That way, you’ll surely be able to tell if you’re looking at the northern lights or a cloud!
B. Use a compass to find the North
The northern lights always come from the geographic north, and if you’re looking in another direction you’ll most likely miss it!
When I visited Cross Plains State Park to see the northern lights, so many enthusiastic aurora hunters were standing there looking in the wrong direction… which was truly a shame.
While aurora hunting, I always have the compass open, even during car rides. Because the intensity of the northern lights significantly vary without any pattern or rhythm it is helpful to be constantly looking north.
Nowadays, finding north is really easy with a cellphone! iPhones already come with a compass app, and there are many other free ones available for download no matter what smartphone you have.
C. Be patient
The intensity of the aurora comes and goes, and waiting in the cold for a peak, which you don’t know if and when it is coming, can be a true test of patience.
During the past northern lights in Madison, I gave up after 2 hours in the cold, and left my husband outside waiting for a miracle.
Ten minutes later, the aurora activity peaked, and because of his patience and endurance to the cold, I was able to get a glimpse of it too!
The lesson I learned is that it is worth it waiting, and doing everything possible to make the wait as comfortable as possible!
It is a good idea to bring a picnic blanket, a tumbler with a hot drink, snacks, hand warmers, and whatever else will make your wait more cozy.
D. Look for flat areas
In Madison, the northern lights tend to be low in the north-facing horizon.
Trees and buildings blocking the view of the horizon can dramatically limit your view of the lights, so flat areas (especially those by lakes) make for the perfect aurora watching spots!
E. Try escaping light pollution
Everyone knows that the city lights can make the northern lights seem dim, but light pollution goes far beyond that.
Hiking away from roads or heading to a more remote area where there aren’t any cars is an effective way to escape light pollution.
Heading to areas without light poles is also important. Though the Memorial Union Terrace at UW Madison is north-facing with a clear view of the horizon, the many light poles can really wash out the view of the aurora.
How to predict the northern lights in Madison?
Predicting the northern lights is a tricky business, and you’re unlikely to know the aurora is expected more than a few days in advance.
There is a lot of science to the northern lights, but the basic thing you should look for is the Planetary K-index (Kp) value, which measures geomagnetic disturbance and serves as the main indicator of auroras.
If the Kp value is 6 or larger, northern lights might be visible from the Madison area. You can look for the current Kp values at SpaceWeather.com
Unlike the meteorological data we are used to, like temperature or chance of rain, the Kp value is the same everywhere, so you don’t need to search for things like “K-index in Madison.”
I find that the best way to know about northern lights predictions is by following X accounts or Facebook pages managed by enthusiastic meteorologists.
During my aurora hunt, I found the Facebook updates by meteorologist Eric Snitil incredibly helpful!
The wrap-up: Where to see northern lights in Madison, Wisconsin
At the end of the day, seeing the northern lights in Madison feels a little like winning the cosmic lottery. It’s rare, unpredictable, and honestly… that’s what makes it so magical.
If you stay patient, keep an eye on the forecasts, and head to the right spots when a solar storm rolls in, you just might catch a show as unforgettable as the one I saw in November 2025.
And when it happens, you’ll never look at the Midwest night sky the same way again.
