What to Know About Utqiagvik, Alaska and Its Extreme Sunlight Seasons

If there is one place that feels like it belongs in a documentary, it is Utqiagvik in Alaska, a remote Arctic town where the sun does not rise for weeks and never sets during summer. It is the kind of destination that instantly pulls you in because the way people live here feels almost unreal and surprisingly beautiful.

Life at the top of the world

Utqiagvik sits at the northernmost tip of the United States, beside the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean. For many years, it was known as Barrow, but the community restored its Iñupiaq name in 2016. The name means the place where we hunt snowy owls, which already hints at the depth of its Indigenous culture.

Getting here is an adventure in itself because there are no roads that connect Utqiagvik to the rest of Alaska. Travellers must fly in from Anchorage or Fairbanks. The moment you step off the plane, the landscape feels quiet and otherworldly. It is the kind of silence you do not usually experience in busy Filipino cities, and it instantly sets the tone for the Arctic world you are entering.

The community relies deeply on tradition. The Iñupiaq people continue their heritage of whaling, seal hunting and subsistence living, practices that have shaped life here for generations. One of the town’s most iconic sights is the Whale Bone Arch, created from the enormous jawbones of a bowhead whale. It stands along the shoreline as a powerful reminder of the town’s connection to the sea.

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The midnight sun and the polar night

Utqiagvik experiences some of the most dramatic daylight patterns on Earth, which is why travellers often search for the midnight sun in Alaska or the polar night experience. From May to August, the sun does not set at all. Locals enjoy constant daylight and a sky that stays bright even at midnight, creating a surreal summer atmosphere.

Everything changes in late November when the town sees its final sunset and enters the polar night, a period when the sun stays below the horizon for about two months. Even with the long darkness, Utqiagvik is not pitch black. There is civil twilight, which gives the sky a soft blue glow. Moonlight often reflects off the snow, and when conditions allow, the northern lights appear in streaks of green and violet.

The town is also home to incredible Arctic wildlife. Depending on the season, visitors may see caribou, migratory birds, whales, walrus, seals and even polar bears. The presence of these animals adds a sense of adventure that makes Utqiagvik feel like a living nature documentary.

Every June, the community celebrates the end of the whaling season with a festival filled with dancing, singing, shared meals and the traditional blanket toss, a practice that honours the spirits of the whales.

Utqiagvik offers something rare, something you cannot easily find in more familiar destinations. The long days of summer and the long nights of winter create a rhythm of life that feels completely different from anything most travellers have ever known. With its strong Indigenous culture, dramatic environment and unique natural phenomena, Utqiagvik in Alaska is a destination that stays with you even if you only learn about it from afar. It is a reminder that the world is bigger, colder and more magical than you think.