NATURAL FEATURESFlowing from Vatnajökull glacier, the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum empties into Öxarfjörður bay. Besides being the country’s second longest river, at 206 km, its catchment area is the largest of all. North of Vatnajökull, the river crosses a barren, gently sloping plateau, but the current gains speed towards the edge of the highlands, where powerful waterfalls drop into the canyon (gljúfur) named after the river, Jökulsárgljúfur.

This canyon is one of the deepest and most breath-taking in Iceland: 25 km long, 500 m wide and in many places 100-120 m deep. The unique series of waterfalls - Selfoss, Dettifoss, Hafragilsfoss and Réttarfoss - have few equals on earth. Jökulsárgljúfur and its surroundings are thought to have been cut into the bedrock through a sequence of catastrophic glacial floods, or jökulhlaups, after the end of the last glaciation. The last such flood probably occurred some 2,000 years ago, but the canyon terrain still clearly shows its erosive force.

About 8-9,000 years ago, two volcanic fissures erupted, one of which ran parallel to today’s river for a distance of some 6 km and is named after the Rauðhólar and Hljóðaklettar formations. The other fissure is named after Randarhólar hills, where, just north of Dettifoss waterfall at Hafragil, the river has cut through the feeder channel of a volcanic crater. This opened a unique cross-sectional view of the magma channel in the canyon’s east wall.

Both of these fissures produced broad lava fields; however, catastrophic river floods washed large parts away, leaving cliff-edged hills behind, such as Vígabjarg in Forvöð, Eyjan in Vesturdalur and Eyjan in Ásbyrgi, all remains of former lava flows.

JÖKULSÁRGLJÚFUR

Jökulsárgljúfur nature is full of contrasts. Some marshy spots can be found in the Hafragil and Hólmatungur areas. The established birch woods of Ásbyrgi are delightful and provide a home to many plant species and numerous birds, of which redwings, redpolls, wrens and snipes are common. Ptarmigans, plovers and meadow pipits are frequently seen in lower-growing vegetation; around lakes and ponds, wetland birds are common. Falcons, merlins, ravens and fulmars nest in cliffs, while wheatears and snow buntings breed in barren, rocky areas.

WELCOME TO JÖKULSÁRGLJÚFURVatnajökull National Park was established on 7 June 2008 and encompasses not only all of Vatnajökull glacier but also extensive surrounding areas. These include the national parks previously existing at Skaftafell in the south and Jökulsárgljúfur in the north, so that today’s national park covers 13% of Iceland.

Visitor Centre: The Ásbyrgi Visitor Centre (Gljúfrastofa) serves all of the northern territory and is located in Ásbyrgi. The centre provides information about the National Park and its surroundings, history, services, natural features, hiking trails and other recreation opportunities. The visitor centre also houses a souvenir shop and an interesting exhibition about the geology and nature of Jökulsárgljúfur canyon and its surroundings. The visitor centre is open from 1 May to 30 September, and can open by appointment in other seasons.

Campgrounds: The park itself stays open to visitors year round. There is a large campground with facilities for tents, trailer tents and recreational vehicles in Ásbyrgi, as well as the picturesque Vesturdalur campground, which offers fewer services. More information about opening hours, etc. can be found on the park website, www.vjp.is, or at the visitor centre.

Enjoy your stay!

WhEN ViSiTiNG, pLEASE REMEMbER:

• Do not cause any damage to nature, for instance by breaking branches or uprooting plants, disturbing animals, interfering with basalt columns or other geological formations, or building cairns.

• Leave no litter behind in the park. Visitors are encouraged to recycle garbage.

• Show consideration for other park visitors. Keep camping areas tidy and avoid making noise on campgrounds between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

• Protect campground vegetation. Never pour hot water on the ground or scorch the vegetation when cooking.

• Pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Owners are responsible for clearing up the animals´ waste.

• Off-road driving is strictly forbidden and will be reported to the police.

• Never light fires on the ground.

• Take away nothing except pictures and memories. Do not leave anything behind other than faint footprints.

in emergency dial 112 – Neyðaraðstoð hringið í 112

In 2008 Jökulsár- gljúfur National Park was incorporated in the larger, newly established Vatnajökull National Park - a decision which makes sense because Jökulsárgljúfur canyon was formed by the same natural forces that shape the land around the Vatnajökull glacier.

hiKiNG ROUTESJökulsárgljúfur is ideal for walking, and indeed cannot be fully explored except on foot. A number of trails have been marked through the canyon from Ásbyrgi south to Selfoss. To help hikers choose suitable routes, their lengths in kilometres are given below, along with colours indicating path difficulty, in accordance with the ratings explained on the map.

hiSTORYThe national park in Jökulsárgljúfur (Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon) was established at the instigation of the Nature Conservation Council in 1973. It included, at the time, a strip of land approximately 30 km long, from Dettifoss in the south to Ásbyrgi in the north, 125 km² altogether. The original objective in declaring the Jökulsárgljúfur area a national park was to preserve the landscape, biota and history of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river canyon and its surroundings, and to allow public access subject to conditions ensuring preservation.

As seen above, green indicates the easiest trails and black the most difficult ones. For more information on any routes, you are welcome to speak to the rangers at the Ásbyrgi Visitor Centre.

Routes and trails involving obstacles and difficulties, such as sizeable unbridged rivers, steep slopes and cliff barriers, which may prove hazardous to the inexperienced or in poor conditions.

bLACK: Difficult

Routes and trails which may include lengthy rough, difficult sections, and obstructions such as unbridged brooks or small rivers, loose gravel, steep sections, and so forth.

RED:

Challenge

bLUE: Easy

For the most part good trails with a smooth surface, without any significant obstructions or difficulties.

GREEN: Limited mobility

These trails are over 75 cm in width and have paving, wooden platforms or compacted gravel, so that there is no loose gravel lying on the surface.

TRAiLS AT ÁSbYRGi

Á1 Botnstjörn pond 1 km/0.5 hr. Ásbyrgi parking – Botnstjörn pond –

viewpoint – return. Points of interest: Vegetation, birds and view of pond.

Á2 Eyjan hill in Ásbyrgi 4.5 km/1.5-2 hrs. Campground – Eyjan – camp- ground. Points of interest: Beautiful view of Ásbyrgi. Enjoyable evening stroll.

Á3 Skógarstígur - through the woods 4 km/1.5 hrs.Visitor Centre – Ásbyrgi parking. Points of interest: Forest history. Vegetation and birds.

Á4 Below Eyjan hill 3.5 km/1 hr. Campground – Ásbyrgi parking.

Points of interest: Honeycomb weathering, woods and other vegetation.

Á5 Áshöfði (around Áshöfði hill) 7.5 km/2-3 hrs. Visitor Centre –

Ástjörn lake – Gilsbakki – Ás – Visitor Centre. Points of interest: Varying terrain, birch woods, moorland. Good view of Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.

Á6 Áshöfði (across Áshöfði hill) 7 km/2-3 hrs. Visitor Centre – Ástjörn

lake – Áshöfði – Ástjörn lake – Visitor Centre. Points of interest: Birds at Ástjörn lake, ponds, ravines. View from Áshöfði.

Á7 Klappir 9 km/2.5-3 hrs. Visitor Centre – Klappir – return. Points of

interest: Excellent view of Ásbyrgi canyon. Unique potholes at Klappir.

Á8 Kúahvammur 12 km/4-5 hrs. Visitor Centre – Klappir – Kúa-

hvammur – Visitor Centre. Points of interest: Excellent view over the Ásbyrgi depression and Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. Birds and diverse vegetation.

Á9 Kvíar 17 km/6-7 hrs. Visitor Centre – Klappir – Kvíar – Kúahvammur

– Visitor Centre. Points of interest: Indications of catastrophic floods in Kvíar.

TRAiLS AT VESTURDALUR Note: Due to the fragile nature it is obligatory to follow marked trails in Hljóðaklettar and Rauðhólar.

V1 Eyjan hill in Vesturdalur 1 km/0.5 hr. Campground (by the more easterly WC) – Eyjan – campground. Points of interest: Viewpoints, ponds and birds.

V2 Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) 1,2 km/0.5 hr. Hljóðaklettar parking – Tröllið (Troll Rock) – return. Points of interest: Cliff acoustics near Jökulsá river and unique geological phenomena; basalt columns and honeycomb weathering.

V3 Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks) 3 km/1-1.5 hrs. Hljóðaklettar parking – Hljóðaklettar – parking. Points of interest: Cliff acoustics near Jökulsá river and unique geological phenomena; basalt columns, cliffs, honeycomb weathering and caves.

V4 Rauðhólar (Red Hills) 5 km/1.5-2 hrs. Hljóðaklettar parking – Hljóðaklettar – Rauðhólar – parking. Points of interest: Extraordinary view and colourful scoria. The first part of the trail is the same as in Route V-3.

V5 Karl og Kerling cliffs 2 km/1 hr. Hljóðaklettar parking – Karl og Kerling viewpoint – return. Points of interest: View over Jökulsá river and Hljóðaklettar, geological phenomena, folk tale.

V6 Svínadalur (deserted farm) 7 km/2-3 hrs. Hljóðaklettar parking – Karl og Kerling - Kallbjarg – Svínadalur – Vesturdalur – campground – parking. Points of interest: History, ruins of varying ages, Jökulsá river and geological phenomena.

TRAiLS AT hóLMATUNGUR

H1 Hólmatungur 4.5 km/1.5-2 hrs. Hólmatungur parking – Hólmá

river and falls – Jökulsá – parking. Points of interest: Magnificent variety of vegetation, pretty waterfalls and rivers.

H2 Katlar 2 km/0.5-1 hr. Hólmatungur parking – Katlar – return.

Points of interest: Vígabjarg (cliff-sided rock), Jökulsá river in a narrow gorge, waterfalls, brooks and springs.

H3 Ytra-Þórunnarfjall 0.6 km/0.5 hr. Hólmatungur parking – Ytra-

Þórunnarfjall – return. Points of interest: Excellent view of Hólmatungur and Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.

TRAiLS AT DETTiFOSS (WEST bANK)

D1 Dettifoss 1.5 km/0.5-1 hr. Dettifoss parking – Dettifoss – return.

Points of interest: Europe’s most powerful waterfall; upper end of Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.

D2 Dettifoss Loop 2.5 km/1 hr. Dettifoss parking – Dettifoss – Selfoss –

parking. Points of interest: Europe’s most powerful waterfall; upper end of Jökulsárgljúfur canyon; Selfoss, the river’s uppermost waterfall.

D3 Hafragil lowland 9 km/3-4 hrs. Parking at Dettifoss – Hafragil –

Hafragil lowland – Sanddalur – Dettifoss – Dettifoss parking. Warning: Steep trail, large boulders, and a risk of falling rocks. Points of interest: Springs, Jökulsá river, Hafragil waterfall and the canyon. Most spectacular hike in the Jökulsárgljúfur area.

LONGER TRAiLS

L1 Ásbyrgi – Vesturdalur 12 km/3-4 hrs. Visitor Centre – Klappir – Kvíar –

Rauðhólar – Hljóðaklettar – Vesturdalur. Points of interest: Spectacular view of Ásbyrgi and the canyon; unique geological formations; diverse flora and fauna.

L2 Vesturdalur – Dettifoss 19.5 km/7-8 hrs. Vesturdalur – Karl og Kerling –

Kallbjarg – Hólmatungur – Þórunnarfjall – north of Hafragil – Dettifoss. Points of interest: Spectacular view of Ásbyrgi and the canyon; unique geological formations; diverse flora and fauna. L3 Vesturdalur – Dettifoss via the Hafragil lowland 18 km/7-8 hrs. Vesturdalur – Karl og Kerling – Kallbjarg – Hólmatungur – Þórunnarfjall – Hafragil lowland – Dettifoss. Warning: Steep trail, large boulders, and a risk of falling rocks. Points of interest: Springs, Jökulsá river, Hafragil water- fall and the canyon. Most spectacular hike in the Jökulsárgljúfur area.

HISTORYVISITOR

CENTRE

MAPHIKING TRAILS

Dettifoss

Botnstjörn pond in Ásbyrgi

NATURE

VATNAJÖKULSÞJÓÐGARÐURNATIONAL PARK

Gyrfalcon – Falco rusticolus

Birch - Petula pubescens

Publisher: Vatnajökull National Park | Photos: Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson, Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson | Design and Layout: PORT Design Illustrations: Jón Baldur Hlíðberg | Map: Fixlanda ehf./Hans H. Hansen | Paper: Sappi Magno Satin | Printing: Oddi4_0413

VATNAJÖKULSÞJÓÐGARÐURNATIONAL PARK

www.vjp.isSupported by Friends of VatnajökullVATNA JÖKULLFRIENDSOF

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