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Thick yellow-green moss covering rounded lumps of lava across the Eldhraun lava field, with low hills behind
Volcanoes

Eldhraun Lava Field

About Eldhraun Lava Field

For miles west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, the Ring Road runs through a sea of lumpy rock buried under thick, gray-green moss. This is the Eldhraun lava field, laid down by the Laki eruption of 1783–84 and spread over about 565 square kilometers of South Iceland.

The Laki fissure erupted from June 8, 1783, to February 7, 1784, and poured out roughly 14 cubic kilometers of lava. Its gases poisoned grazing land across the country, and in the famine that followed, known as Móðuharðindin, about a fifth of Iceland's people died. In Kirkjubæjarklaustur, the pastor Jón Steingrímsson preached his "fire sermon" on July 20, 1783, and the lava turned aside before it reached the church.

Route 1 crosses Eldhraun between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur, about three and a half hours from Reykjavík. The easiest place to see it up close is a gravel parking lot on the highway about 7 kilometers west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, with information boards on the eruption and a short rope-lined path into the lava. Vík is about 50 minutes west.

The moss is woolly fringe moss, and it is far more fragile than it looks. A footprint can take decades to recover, so stay on the marked path, don't sit or lie on the moss, and never pull over on the road shoulder for photos. Fifteen to twenty minutes at the stop is plenty.

Because it sits right on Route 1, Eldhraun is easy to see in any season, though snow can hide the moss in winter. The green is brightest on a damp summer day. Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon is a few minutes' drive away, so it's easy to see both on the same drive.

Day tours that visit Eldhraun Lava Field

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Multi-day trips featuring Eldhraun Lava Field

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Good to know

Where is the Eldhraun lava field?

Eldhraun is in South Iceland, along Route 1 between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The main roadside stop is about 7 kilometers west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

How was Eldhraun formed?

It was created by the Laki eruption, which ran from June 1783 to February 1784 and released about 14 cubic kilometers of lava. Moss has grown over the lava in the centuries since.

Can you walk on the moss at Eldhraun?

No. The woolly fringe moss is fragile, and damage can take decades to heal. Stay on the marked path at the parking area and admire the rest from there.

How big is the Eldhraun lava field?

Eldhraun covers about 565 square kilometers, which makes it one of the largest lava flows from a single eruption in recorded history.

How long should you spend at Eldhraun?

About 15 to 20 minutes is enough to walk the short path and read the information boards. Add an hour if you also visit nearby Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon.

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