Nauthúsagil

About Nauthúsagil

Nauthúsagil is a narrow, moss-lined ravine below Eyjafjallajökull where you follow a stream up to a waterfall hidden from the road. It sits behind the farm Stóra-Mörk, about 10 kilometers past Seljalandsfoss, and sees a fraction of that crowd. The name means Bull Shed Ravine, after a shed for the farm's bulls, and an outlying farm called Nauthús stood here until it was abandoned in 1770.

The Nauthúsagil hike follows the stream itself, so expect stepping stones, wet boulders and a few short scrambles where chains and ropes are fixed to the walls. A small waterfall of 2 to 3 meters comes first, and you can climb up beside it to reach the larger Nauthúsagil waterfall at the head of the ravine. From the western rim you can also see a third waterfall, along with views across the Markarfljót plain toward Stóri-Dímon and Fljótshlíð.

The ravine is part of Katla UNESCO Global Geopark, which describes walls of tuff at the bottom with layers of lava above. A rowan tree grows on the ridge and leans its trunks over the gorge, some almost horizontally. When its main trunk broke in 1937, it was more than 90 years old, and part of it is now on display at the Skógar Museum.

To get there, turn off the Ring Road onto Route 249 at Seljalandsfoss and drive east toward Þórsmörk for about 15 minutes. The road turns to gravel, and the deep river crossings that make the Þórsmörk route notorious begin farther east, past the ravine. Check road.is and your rental terms before you set out. Parking at the mouth of the ravine is free, and an hour covers the walk in and out.

Summer is the easiest time, when the water is low and the ravine is green, while in May the vegetation can still look yellow. In winter the stream and falls ice over, and the rocks become too slippery for most visitors without traction. Waterproof boots help in any season, since you will step through the stream more than once.