Heinabergsjökull Glacier

About Heinabergsjökull Glacier

Heinabergsjökull is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull in Southeast Iceland, about 30 km west of Höfn by road. It ends in Heinabergslón, a glacier lagoon crowded with icebergs, and the whole area is part of Vatnajökull National Park. Few tour buses make the detour, so on most days you share the shore with only a handful of cars.

The glacier reached its largest size around 1887, when the ice was thick enough to dam the lagoon and send its water spilling into the neighboring valley of Vatnsdalur. Once the ice began to thin late in the 19th century, the trapped water started escaping under the glacier in sudden floods. The first of them, in 1898, covered a large part of the lowland, and several farms were abandoned afterward.

To get to Heinabergslón, take the turnoff from Route 1 between Skálafell and Flatey. The last 8 km are on rough, unpaved gravel, and the national park recommends a 4x4 because the track is hard going for a small city car. Expect the drive to take about 40 minutes from Höfn or about an hour from Jökulsárlón.

A short interpretive trail starts at the parking lot, with signs about Iceland's shrinking glaciers, and a chemical toilet by the lagoon is open year-round. For a longer outing, the 6 km Heinaberg loop takes 3 to 4 hours and passes Bólstaðafoss waterfall and basalt columns. An easy path also leads to the ruins of the old Heinaberg farm, while marked routes continue on to Skálafell and to Fláajökull.

Summer is the best time to visit Heinabergsjökull. The gravel road is not maintained in winter, and guided kayak trips among the icebergs run only in the summer months. Allow about an hour for the lagoon and the short trail, or half a day if you plan one of the hikes.

From fall to spring, large reindeer herds are often seen on the lowland below the glacier. Wherever you walk, stay off the ice and the floating bergs, which can roll or break apart without warning.