Haukafell Campground

About Haukafell Campground

Haukafell campground is a forest campsite in the Mýrar district of Hornafjörður, Southeast Iceland, just east of Fláajökull and about 40 minutes' drive west of Höfn. A marked trail leads from the site to the glacier front, so you can walk to the ice before breakfast.

Locals planted the first trees here in 1985, and the woodland now breaks the wind that sweeps off Vatnajökull. Low birch and berry bushes fill the gaps between pitches, and the berries are usually ripe in August. The last stretch from Route 1 is partly gravel, though the operator says a normal car manages it if you drive slowly.

Facilities are simple but recently improved. The toilet and shower block has been expanded, and there's electricity for vans and for the site's canvas tents. Those tents suit anyone traveling light: each has 16 square meters of floor space for two people, with made-up beds, a heater and lights.

Haukafell camping runs from early April to the end of September. Prices aren't published by the operator, so check the Parka booking page or call ahead. Do your shopping in Höfn, because there's no store on site.

Most people come for the trails. Short family walks loop through the forest, and a longer marked route crosses the Kolgrafardalsá river on a footbridge to the front of Fláajökull and its meltwater lagoon. Weather near the ice turns quickly, so check the forecast and never walk onto the glacier without a guide.