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Outdoors Steese Highway, Fairbanks

Cleary Summit

An outdoor spot in Steese Highway, Fairbanks, free to visit and worth about 3 hours. Best time to go: Late night.

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Why go

High pass on the Steese Highway north of Fairbanks, away from city lights, with wide views of the northern sky.

It is one of 7 curated places we feature in Fairbanks, alongside 2 sights, 1 activity and 1 outdoor spot. The closest of our other picks is Creamer's Field, 15 mi away as the crow flies.

Type
Outdoors · Nature
Neighborhood
Steese Highway
Price
Free
Time needed
3 hr
Best time
Late night

Nearby

The 4 closest curated picks in Fairbanks, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Creamer's Field

    Wildlife refuge on an old dairy farm on the edge of town, with trails for skiing, snowshoeing and walking in winter.

    Outdoors · 15 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center

    Free downtown visitor center on the Chena River with exhibits on Interior Alaska and Athabascan life.

    Sight · 16 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    Fairbanks Depot

    Alaska Railroad station on the edge of town, where the Aurora Winter Train leaves for Talkeetna and Anchorage.

    Activity · 16 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Museum of the North

    University of Alaska museum on a hill above Fairbanks, with Alaska Native art, natural history and a mummified steppe bison.

    Sight · 18 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Cleary Summit is a stop on our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More to do in Fairbanks

Cleary Summit is our only outdoors pick in Fairbanks; here is what else we recommend there. See the full Fairbanks guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Fairbanks run from 4°F in January to 69°F in July; July is usually the wettest month. For Cleary Summit itself, we suggest: Late night.

Modelled monthly averages for Fairbanks from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Fairbanks weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Cleary Summit, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Coordinates
65.05064, -147.44791
Destination
Fairbanks, Alaska

Cleary Summit: quick answers

How much time do you need at Cleary Summit?

Plan on about 3 hours at Cleary Summit. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Cleary Summit?

Our pick: Late night. Insider tip: Bring a thermos and wait in the car with the engine off between displays.

Is Cleary Summit free?

Yes, we list Cleary Summit as free to visit. Check locally before you go, since special exhibits, parking or tours can carry a fee.

Which TripsCircle routes include Cleary Summit?

Cleary Summit appears on Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Cleary Summit to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Fairbanks.

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Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.