Skógafoss and the Skógá waterfalls to the footbridge

From the car park walk north to the foot of Skógafoss and climb the long metal staircase on its east side. At the top, cross the stile and follow the marked path up the east bank of the Skógá. It keeps to that side all the way, climbing steadily over the heath past a long chain of falls, among them Hestavaðsfoss, Fosstorfufoss and Gluggafoss. After about 8 km it reaches the footbridge where the trail to Fimmvörðuháls crosses the river. Turn here and return the same way.

It is 16.4 km there and back with 599 m of ascent; allow about 5½ hours. The grade is Hard: a long, steady climb on a good path, with a steep staircase at the start.

Keep back from the gorge edges, which are undercut in places. The path climbs to about 600 m, towards the glaciers, and the weather can change quickly. From autumn to early summer expect ice on the stairs and snow higher up. The crossing of the pass beyond the bridge is a summer route for the well equipped, not part of this walk.

Parking costs 1,000 ISK per car for each five hours, paid through Parka; this walk can take longer than five hours, which means paying for a second period. Strætó route 52, between Reykjavík and Höfn, stops at Skógar, though not on Mondays or Wednesdays.

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.