Bruarhlod (Brúarhlöð) Canyon
Bruarhlod (Brúarhlöð) Canyon
Bruarhlod is accessed from road 30, which links Geysir and Gullfoss with Fludir via a bridge over the Hvita river.
As you cross the river you'll notice how it narrows to a tight gorge. On the east bank, a parking area invites you to stop and explore.
With care, you can walk down a short trail to admire the Bruarhlod Canyon up close.
Here the river is deep, very narrow and fast flowing. During flash floods, the water has eroded the surrounding cliffs, which are made of a type of breccia formed of volcanic rock fragments.
In the river stand two tall rocks that are, of course, giant trolls, solidified because they did not make it back to their cave before sunrise! One is a female (the shorter one) and the other is a male who was carrying a dog on top of his head – well it looks like that from a certain angle.
The current bridge is the third one to be built on this site - the two previous bridges were swept away during flooding as they were much lower in height.