Take the white knuckle drive to get to the jaw dropping preserve, Vesturdalur is an off the beaten path hikers dream in the mid-highlands, located within Vatnajökull National Park.
From the parking lot at the bottom of the hill find the trailhead detailing the trekking routes. The perfect loop to get a feel for the park includes the premiere sights Hljóðaklettar and Rauðhólar, over a three-mile hike.
The trails are well marked and constantly awe inspiring with a big plus, there were no other tourists to share them with.
It isn’t a long or difficult walk to get to the Hljóðaklettar, the echo rocks, if you are looking for a shorter experience you can simply head out and back to this point in a one mile jaunt.
However, you will be fascinated with these peculiar formations and crave more of them.
Hljóðaklettar is a part of a crater row that erupted 9,000 years ago in what one can imagine was an apocalyptic mayhem.
When in their original form many of the craters were similar to Rauðhólar, but during massive floods of the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum loose materials were swept away leaving only their contorted interiors.
You can see how the magma solidified, creating basalt columnar jointing that is rarely seen in the world.
Twisting, turning, and swirling, these distinctive clusters are endlessly interesting, many of them have names, such as the castle, the giant, and the church.
You may even discover a honeycombed cave in the midst of your adventure, enter if you dare.
While tromping about the trail beside these rocks, be sure to test out their echoing qualities. Whether you choose to sing, whistle, or clap – your sound will reverberate across the land!
Eventually you will leave these strange wonders and head out towards Rauðhólar, which happens to be equally as intriguing. The shrubbery along the trail is lovely and from this point on the path is a bit more challenging, gaining some elevation.
A colorful crater awaits streaked in the brightest hue that gives its name, Red Hills.
Creating a lollipop loop means that you get to experience a whole different side to the gorgeous valley and Hljóðaklettar rocks.
Good to know:
+Restroom and campsites are available
+The gravel road is manageable in a 2WD rental car (we did it in a Toyota Yaris) under the right conditions, but definitely a difficult drive