Hafragilsfoss

About Hafragilsfoss

Hafragilsfoss is the waterfall most Dettifoss visitors never see, even though it sits only about 2 km downstream in the same canyon. The Jökulsá á Fjöllum drops 27 meters here, according to Vatnajökull National Park, into a deep, dark gorge in Jökulsárgljúfur in Northeast Iceland.

What sets it apart is the setting. From the east rim you look straight down the canyon at the falls, with sheer walls on both sides and almost nobody else at the viewpoint. Nearby, the Randarhólar volcanic fissure has exposed its feeder dike in the canyon wall, a cross section of the volcano's plumbing you can pick out from above.

The Hafragilsfoss waterfall is best seen from the east bank. Turn off the Ring Road onto gravel Road 864 just east of the Jökulsá bridge, drive north past the Dettifoss east parking lot, and follow the signed spur to the Hafragilsfoss viewpoint, a short walk from the canyon edge. Road 864 is slow, so allow well over an hour from Reykjahlíð at Mývatn.

From the west bank, off paved Route 862, the view of the falls is limited. Experienced hikers can instead take the park's D3 Hafragil trail, about 9 km and 4 hours, which descends steeply into the gorge and is graded difficult because of falling rocks. Stick to the rim if you are short on time or unsure on loose ground.

Road 864 closes once snow arrives in the fall and reopens only when the mud has dried out in spring, so June to September is the realistic season for a Hafragilsfoss visit. Check road.is before you go, and combine it with the east side of Dettifoss on the same drive.