Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the car park by the road 37 bridge, walk north, upstream, on the path along the east bank of the Brúará, through low birch scrub. First come the broad cascades of Hlauptungufoss, then Miðfoss, and last Brúarfoss, where the river pours from both sides into a narrow blue cleft below a small footbridge. Keep to the riverside path, as side paths into the summer houses are private. Turn at the footbridge and return the same way.
It is 6.3 km there and back with 48 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: an almost level path, bare earth in places.
The landowners close the riverside path in winter, with no fixed dates, so check before going from late autumn. After rain parts of it are very muddy. The river is fast and very cold: keep back from the undercut banks and don't try to cross it. When the riverside path is shut, the landowners' paid car park near the falls (750 ISK through Parka) has a short path of about 400 m to the same footbridge.
The car park by the road 37 bridge is free. It lies between Laugarvatn and Reykholt on the Golden Circle; road 37 is paved and open all year. Strætó route 73 stops at Laugarvatn and Laugarás, not at the trailhead, and not every day.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Brúarfoss is only two or three metres high: the river pours from both sides into a narrow cleft of bright blue water
- The Brúará runs clear from the uplands below Langjökull; the path passes Hlauptungufoss and Miðfoss first
- The name means bridge falls, after an old crossing over the narrow cleft
- The walk starts by the road 37 bridge, between Laugarvatn and Reykholt on the Golden Circle
Getting there
Start: Brúarfoss trail car park by road 37. 64.24015, -20.52418
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around South Iceland: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
