W
he majority of organized tours hit Skogafoss between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you manage to arrive at the waterfall outside of these hours, you have a chance to view it in peace and without crowding. Also consider staying overnight at a campsite right below the waterfall.
You can see the waterfall all year round. Take special care if you decide to visit it in winter. The combination of water, snow and cold temperatures means that the area around the waterfall can be really slippery.
There is free parking and paid restrooms near the waterfall. Nearby you will also find a campground, a cafe, a small store, etc.
The campsite (Skogar campsite) doesn’t offer much and can get wet in summer. It is small and squeezed in between very busy car parks. You can definitely spend the night there if you want to see the waterfall at sunrise or sunset, or take the Fimmvorduhals trail and see more waterfalls. However, outside of these conditions, a campsite in nearby Vik will certainly work better.
Hiking at Skogafoss
Between Skógafoss waterfall and Skogar itself begins one of Iceland’s most famous hiking trails – the Fimmvorduhals trail. It is a one-day trail of about 22 kilometers. It leads along the Skógá River, between two glaciers, Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull, just to the “eponymous” Fimmvörðuháls pass and on to the Thorsmork (Þórsmörk) valley considered by many Icelanders to be the most beautiful place on the island….
Fimmvörðuháls is perhaps the most beautiful 1-day hiking route in Iceland, and if you have the time, you should consider taking a day to see it. To do so, plan to spend the night at a campsite in Skogar, and the next day leave your car in the parking lot and walk the trail. From the Thorsmork valley you will return the same or the next day by bus.
You can also split the trip into two days by booking (well in advance!) an overnight stay at a hostel on the pass. You can read about what you have a chance to see during the hike and how you should prepare for it in a separate article: Fimmvorduhals trail.
If you don’t have all day, it’s still worth going up the Fimmvorduhals trail for at least about an hour and back. You will see as many as a dozen beautifull waterfalls that can even compete with Skogafoss itself. It is a real paradise, and at the same time a must-see for all lovers of waterfalls. And when the weather is nice, it’s just a very nice and interesting walk (the further part of the trail, after reaching the top of Skogafoss itself, is much flatter than the initial steep ascent).
Kvernufoss – a small, hidden gem
Not far from the mighty Skogafoss lies the often overlooked, and certainly very pretty, Kvernufoss waterfall.
Kvernufoss is a 30-meter waterfall reached by an approximately 800-meter path starting at Cafe Skogar, at the eastern end of the settlement, about 1 km east of the main waterfall. The walk thus takes no more than 20 minutes, and leads to a beautiful little gorge hidden in the greenery where the waterfall is located.
In summer you can walk to a small cave behind the cascade of water, and in winter you can admire the fancy ice formations on and around the waterfall.
It is usually a quiet, peaceful place and free from the crowds of tourists. So if you want a little break from the bustling and crowded Skogafoss, it’s worth coming here to contemplate the beauty of Icelandic nature in solitude.
How to get to Skogafoss
Skogafoss waterfall is located near the small village of Skógar, about 30 km northwest of the town of Vik and Myrdal, on Highway 1.
Driving from Reykjavik, you’ll find the waterfall about 30 km past the bridge over the Markarfljót River and downhill to the Seljalandsfoss waterfall (also beautiful and crowded…).
If you follow the slope stretching along the shore, the Skogafoss waterfall is impossible to miss.
Photos of Skogafoss and Kvernufoss waterfalls
