Svartifoss Waterfall - A Circular Hike
Svartifoss Waterfall - A Circular Hike
Duration: 3 hours. Difficulty: easy, around 200m of ascent and descent. Interest: waterfalls, views of the glacier. Start/End: the trail starts left of the toilets at the Visitor Centre at Skaftafell.
Proceed through the campsite until you reach an information board at the foot of the wooded slope. Take the main trail which climbs through woodland. Past two waterfalls, bear right, following the sign to Svartifoss, and cross open moorland. You will arrive at a viewpoint over the falls.
Descend to the waterfall, which is framed by basalt columns, and then cross the bridge and walk uphill to a path junction. Bear right and continue uphill for a further 100 metres to the viewpoint Sjonasker. Enjoy a wide view over Skeidarajokull, a huge glacier tongue.
Note the long bridge which now spans an almost dry riverbed as the Skeiðará recently changed its course and now runs west into the River Gigjukvisl. Return to the last path junction and go straight over. Ignore the next junction to the right, taking the second path signposted to Sel, a restored turf farm, which you can look around both inside and out at no charge. Continue left along the road until you reach the parking area, then take the path down the west bank of the river and its gorge. At the bottom, turn left to return to the campsite and your car.