There are no roads going through Skaftafell National Park, to see its magnificent sights you’ll have to hike in. Created in 1967, the park was incorporated into a larger preserve in 2008 called Vatnajokull National Park – the second largest national park in Europe.
There is a lot to see and do. Encompassing the highest mountain in Iceland Hvannadalshnjúkur at 6,923′ feet and its highest volcano Öraefajökull at 6,921′, you will be surrounded by giants. For this reason, the park has a relatively mild climate compared to the rest of the Southern Coast. It is a protected valley and is even home to a rare and verdant forest. Skaftafell is a land of contrast filled with waterfalls, glaciers, forests, volcanoes, and peaks for hikers to see in a patchwork of wonder.
Parking
This is one of the few hiking preserves that charges for parking, currently the rates are $6 USD, payable by credit card. There are cameras that record your license plate, so no shirking. If you are on a budget, you can park on a gravel pull out prior to the sign and hike in.
Visitor Center
Skaftafell Visitor Center is open year round and there is a lot to learn about geology, wildlife, and history of the region.
Learn the story of two students who were conducting measurements high up on a glacier in 1953, when a storm rolled in. Rescue teams were sent in to find them, unsuccessfully. In 2006 their equipment was discovered, yet no human remains accompanied it.
The young men had conducted much research on glaciers and climate change, they were very respected scientists in the field. You can find a café, free restrooms, water station, and maps for your day in the park.
Hiking
Depending on how long you’d like to hike or what you want to see, there are many trails in the park system with ranging mileage and difficulty – well marked and easy to understand if you have a map.
Svartifoss Waterfall: From the visitor center the trail to the famous falls it is 2.5 miles gaining 584 feet of elevation, and it is possible to make a loop. Along the way you will pass another waterfall, Hundafoss, which makes a great appetizer.
The path is very well groomed and there is a wooden platform to view the falls from. Translating to Black Falls, this cascade drops 65 feet in a free fall down the edge of a remarkable cliff – made of hexagonal black basalt lava.
S6 Loop Svartifoss/Sjónarnípa: If you wish to continue pass the falls, you can create a 4.5 mile loop and reach a mind-blowing viewpoint of the Skaftafellsjökull Glacier. Along the way you will cross rivers.
Discover additional beautiful waterfalls in the river of the plateau.
And admire the scenery. Skaftafell is protected from sheep, and since they have stopped grazing on the land the arctic vegetation has bloomed.
Upon reaching the most prominent vista, the reward is utterly unbelievable.
To see this glacier, a mighty natural sight stretching from high up in the mountains to its terminus in a lagoon was breathtaking, and to have it all to ourselves in the early morning made even more special.
The valley was washed in grey on an ominous day, but the weather held out.
A network of rivers scrambled in the distance, smoothed flat from the ancient path of the glacier.
Vistas were steadily incredible as the loop descended beside the glacier, before heading into the woods. Pleasant and green, this change of scenery was welcome. We were lucky enough to encounter a common snipe and finally snap a picture of one (after seeing many elusive others) before making it back to the visitor center.
Skaftafellsjökull Glacier:
To get up close and personal with a glacier, there is a flat and easy 2.3 mile roundtrip hike to reach the tip of the tongue.
When you cross from the direct gravel path on the glacial sand, you choose your route and can explore the beach at different angles.
It is instantly colder this close to the jagged beast, and endlessly inspiring.
Guided tours
Those looking to take guided glacier hikes and ice cave tours can book within the park.
Accommodations
Campsites are available, but note that it is difficult to pitch a tent in the unusually hard earth.
Fun Fact: Films such as Interstellar, Batman Begins, and James Bond’s A View to a Kill were shot in the park.