Iceland, Skaftafell Park, Skaftafell C.G. to Svartifoss

Svartifoss means Black Falls in Icelandic (svarti = black, foss = falls). And that covers my ENTIRE understanding of the world's most indecipherable language.

The hike up to the base of the falls is very easy and the trail is well marked since Skaftafell is the Iceland equivalent of the Grand Canyon or Yosemite in terms of National Park status. You cannot get lost on this short out and back and it's usually pretty well traveled during high season.

Speaking of high season, half of Iceland descends on this park and campground to party during specific periods in Summer. It's like Spring Break in Daytona Beach... complete with keggers. Avoid these periods if you like your national parks quiet and peaceful.

The visitor center and the campground are well kept. Facilities for both are clean, but busy. If you're camping, there are pay showers and a 3/4 mile long line for the 1 washing machine and 1 dryer. The visitor center has a cafe which is pretty decent, sells beer, and, naturally, is quite expensive.

There are many trail options in the park. This hike is less than 5 miles round trip and rises less than 550 feet. It's doable for anyone who can climb a flight of stairs. So take the kids, but leave the strollers. It can be a quick out-n'-back for a morning wake up, or you can leisurely stroll making for a longer afternoon. You can make this the beginning or the end of other loops of trails in the park if you want a more substantial trek.

The trail approximately follows the stream that creates Svartifoss, and will give you several opportunities to stop and see other falls along the way. At the base of Svartifoss there is a wooden bridge and boardwalk, allowing you to get some amazing close ups of the mist totally obscuring your camera lens.... :)

The geology is incredible. The unique polygonal shapes of the rock is a formation called columnar basalt. It's the same phenomenon as the Giant's Causeway in Ireland or Devil's Tower in Wyoming, USA.