Skaftafell
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 4.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,001 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,001 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,193 ft
- TrailRank
-
44
4.7
- Min elevation
- 297 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 2 hours 50 minutes
- Coordinates
- 879
- Uploaded
- August 31, 2015
- Recorded
- July 2015
near Skaftafell, Austurland (Lýðveldið Ísland)
Viewed 3593 times, downloaded 264 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Skaftafell National Park was a national park, situated between Kirkjubæjarklaustur, typically referred to as Klaustur, and Höfn in the south of Iceland. On 7 June 2008, it became a part of the larger Vatnajökull National Park.
The landscape is very similar to some of the Alps, but it has been formed in thousands of years by different influences of fire (volcanic eruptions of Öræfajökull) and water (the glaciers Skeiðarájökull and Skaftafellsjökull), the rivers Skeiðará, Morsá und Skaftafellsá. Volcanic eruptions under the ice-cap can give rise to jökulhlaups (glacial floods) which swell the Skeiðará river massively. The sandy wasteland between the glacier and the sea caused by jökulhlaups is called Skeiðarársandur, and is a typical Sandur. The last large jökulhlaup occurred in 1996.
Skaftafell is renowned in Iceland for its agreeable climate and the sunny days in summer, uncommon in the south of Iceland. There is a natural birch wood, Bæjarstaðarskógur, as well as many species of birds and Arctic foxes.
The waterfall Svartifoss (Black Fall) flows over a step of about 20 metres. Its name comes from the black basalt columns behind it. In the Middle Ages there were some large farms in this area, but they were abandoned after two volcanic eruptions and the ensuing glacier runs. The two surviving farms now mostly make a living from tourism. The park has also an information centre and a campground. There are many hiking trails crossing the area.
The landscape is very similar to some of the Alps, but it has been formed in thousands of years by different influences of fire (volcanic eruptions of Öræfajökull) and water (the glaciers Skeiðarájökull and Skaftafellsjökull), the rivers Skeiðará, Morsá und Skaftafellsá. Volcanic eruptions under the ice-cap can give rise to jökulhlaups (glacial floods) which swell the Skeiðará river massively. The sandy wasteland between the glacier and the sea caused by jökulhlaups is called Skeiðarársandur, and is a typical Sandur. The last large jökulhlaup occurred in 1996.
Skaftafell is renowned in Iceland for its agreeable climate and the sunny days in summer, uncommon in the south of Iceland. There is a natural birch wood, Bæjarstaðarskógur, as well as many species of birds and Arctic foxes.
The waterfall Svartifoss (Black Fall) flows over a step of about 20 metres. Its name comes from the black basalt columns behind it. In the Middle Ages there were some large farms in this area, but they were abandoned after two volcanic eruptions and the ensuing glacier runs. The two surviving farms now mostly make a living from tourism. The park has also an information centre and a campground. There are many hiking trails crossing the area.
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Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Good trail