Hiking to Svartifoss Waterfall

The Skaftafell area of Vatnajökull National Park is located right off the Ring Road and home to loads of beautiful hikes including Svartifoss Waterfall. Svartifoss is a two mile out and back trail that begins at the visitor center.

From the visitor center, you walk through a campground, then the beginning section is a steep incline for about 20 minutes until you reach the top of the hill. It isn't a difficult hike by any means, but unless you're an iron man or marathon runner, prepare to take some pauses and catch your breath. There are interesting viewpoints along the way though including another waterfall.

As you continue on, the path gets pretty wide (we love a good passing zone) and it starts to level out. You'll get a sneak peak of the unique Svartifoss from afar, but don't stop there. Continue on the trail for a closer look and to get to the lower viewing platform.

The waterfall may not be as big as some of the other showstoppers in Iceland, but the organ-like basalt column backdrop makes it one of the most unique. These columns even inspired the massive Hallgrímskirkja Church in Reykjavik.

The lower viewing platform has some wooden benches to sit,relax, and enjoy the falls. We spend some time here, then headed back to the parking lot. There was a food truck in the lot that was closed at the time we got back, but know there is an option if you're hungry, just make sure to check the hours. Also note there is a 1,000ISK (as of April 2023) parking fee, but there are free bathrooms right by the visitor center.