Heiðmörk Nature Reserve
About Heiðmörk Nature Reserve
Heiðmörk is a large forested nature reserve on the southeastern edge of Reykjavík, about 20 minutes' drive from downtown. It's the biggest outdoor recreation area near the city, stretching across land in Reykjavík, Garðabær and Kópavogur, with Lake Elliðavatn on its northern side.
Reykjavík City Council set the area aside as a protected recreation park in 1947, and tree planting started soon after. Most of the work was done by volunteers and young summer workers, and a wooden sign in the spruce forest marks the first planting, from 1949. Today planted forest covers more than a fifth of Heiðmörk, with about as much again in wild birch woodland.
For visitors, Heiðmörk nature reserve is a place to walk, cycle or ride among trees, which is a rare thing this close to Reykjavík. A network of gravel roads and trails runs between lava fields, conifer stands and small ponds such as Myllulækjartjörn, and you can spend an hour or a full afternoon. Birders come for redwings, goldcrests, crossbills and short-eared owls, plus whooper swans on the lake.
Entry is free and the reserve is open all year. Heiðmörk also contains water protection areas that supply the capital, so stick to the roads and marked parking areas and keep the ground clean.
The road in from Reykjavík passes Rauðhólar, the red volcanic mounds at the reserve's northern edge. The old Elliðavatnsbær farmhouse is the base of the forestry association that looks after Heiðmörk, and it hosts a Christmas market in the weeks before Christmas.
Day tours that visit Heiðmörk Nature Reserve
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Good to know
Where is Heiðmörk?
Heiðmörk is on the southeastern edge of the capital area, spanning land in Reykjavík, Garðabær and Kópavogur. It's about a 20-minute drive from downtown Reykjavík.
Is Heiðmörk free to visit?
Yes. There's no entrance fee, and the reserve is open all year.
What can you do in Heiðmörk?
Walking, cycling and horse riding are the main activities, on trails through planted forest, birch woodland and lava. Birdwatching around Lake Elliðavatn is good too.
When was Heiðmörk established?
Reykjavík City Council made Heiðmörk a protected recreation park in 1947, and the first trees were planted at the end of the 1940s.
Can you see the northern lights in Heiðmörk?
Yes. Away from the city lights, Heiðmörk is one of the darkest places close to Reykjavík, so it's a good spot on clear winter nights with aurora activity.
Is there a Christmas market in Heiðmörk?
Yes. The forestry association runs a Christmas market at the Elliðavatnsbær farmhouse in the weeks before Christmas.
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