Námaskarð

About Námaskarð

Námaskarð is the pass where Route 1 crosses the Námafjall ridge east of Lake Mývatn in North Iceland, and the Hverir geothermal area spreads across the slope below it. The field is bare ground stained orange, yellow and gray, full of boiling mud pots and hissing steam vents, and you will smell it before you see it.

Strictly speaking, Námaskarð is the pass and Hverir (also called Hverarönd) is the field at its eastern foot, but most people use the names for the same stop. It sits right beside Route 1, about 6 kilometers east of Reykjahlíð and roughly 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Akureyri. Nothing grows here because the soil is hot and acidic, and the rotten-egg smell comes from hydrogen sulfide in the steam. Sulfur was once mined in the area, which explains the name, roughly "mine pass."

A loop of roped paths runs through the field from the parking lot and takes 20 to 40 minutes. With another hour to spare, you can follow a steep marked trail up Námafjall from the same lot for a view over the vents toward Mývatn. Stay on the paths and inside the ropes, since the crust can be thin and the mud underneath is close to boiling.

Because it is on the Ring Road, the site is open year-round, and the steam looks thickest on cold winter days. Expect mud in spring and ice in winter, so wear boots you can get dirty. Entry is free, but the parking lot is a paid lot with digital payment, so check the posted rate when you arrive.

The Námaskarð hot springs are for looking only, as the water is far too hot to touch. For a soak, Earth Lagoon Mývatn (formerly Mývatn Nature Baths) is about 2 kilometers back toward the lake, and the Krafla area with Víti crater is a short drive north.