Skaftafell Nature Reserve
Skaftafell is a wilderness area within Vatnajökull National Park — the largest national park in Europe — offering hiking trails through birch woodlands, past gl…
Stuttlega
Heimsóknartími
2-4 hours for Svartifoss hike; full day for longer trails
Besta árstíð
May to September for best weather and trail access
Leiðarvísir
Off Route 1, well-marked visitor center with facilities
GPS
64.0164, -16.9669
Um
Um Skaftafell Nature Reserve
Skaftafell is a wilderness area within Vatnajökull National Park — the largest national park in Europe — offering hiking trails through birch woodlands, past glaciers and to the dramatic Svartifoss waterfall.
Ferðir nálægt Skaftafell Nature Reserve
Skaftafell Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike
Troll Expeditions · 4 hours
Ice cave - Inside the largest glacier
Glacier Trips · 3 hours
DT 306 Private Superjeep Borgafjörður & Into The Glacier
Superjeep · 8 hours
Solheimajokull Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike
Troll Expeditions · 4 hours
Myndir
Myndavefur
Bakgrunnur
Saga og bakgrunnur
Skaftafell was once a prosperous farming area but was repeatedly devastated by glacial flood outbursts called jökulhlaups from Vatnajökull glacier. In 1362, one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history — from the Öræfajökull volcano — destroyed all settlements in the area and killed much of the local population. The area was designaged a national park in 1967 and later incorporated into Vatnajökull National Park in 2008.
Skaftafell is part of Vatnajökull National Park and is one of the park's main visitor areas. Skaftafellsstofa provides current information about trails, conditions and nearby recreation. The map point is placed at the visitor centre so it functions as a safe and useful navigation point for the wider Skaftafell area.
Þjóðsögur
Saga og þjóðsögur
Skaftafell was Iceland's most visited national park before merging with Vatnajökull National Park in 2008. The area sits at the edge of Europe's largest glacier and offers a combination of hiking trails that few places in Iceland can match: the famous Svartifoss waterfall framed by basalt columns, panoramic glacier views from Sjónarnípa ridge, the birch woodland of Bæjarstaðarskógur, and close access to the Skaftafellsjökull glacier tongue. Norse settlers named the area Skaftafell — 'shaft farm' — and the modern visitor centre sits near where the medieval farmstead stood, before the glacier retreated over centuries. The campsite here is Iceland's most-visited.
Staðbundin þjóðsaga
The Troll of Skaftafell Nature Reserve
An ancient tale speaks of a troll who once roamed Skaftafell Nature Reserve. The troll was caught by the rising sun while traveling home and turned to stone, becoming part of the landscape. Local people say you can still see the troll's silhouette in the mountain formation, forever frozen as a reminder to respect the power of daylight.
Menning
Sögur og þjóðsögur
Íslenskar sögur og þjóðsögur frá þessum slóðum
Staðsetning
Staðsetning
Discover
Explore Nearby
Places within 5.0 km
Loading nearby places…
0 places found within 5.0 km
Plan full itinerary →Kanna meira