Skógafoss is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland. Its close proximity to the Ring Road and location in southern Iceland makes it a popular destination for tourists. And while tour buses will drop you at the base of the falls for pictures, fewer people make the trek up the Skógá River to see the additional waterfalls. While Skógafoss is the most impressive waterfall on this hike, if you choose to complete the Skógafoss waterfall hike, known as Waterfall Way, you’ll be impressed.
The Skógafoss waterfall hike is a section of the Fimmvörðuháls trail along side the Skógá River. This full trail is a big day of hiking that will take you all the way to Thórsmörk. This is a great hike for people with extra time in their Iceland itinerary. However, even if you only have a few hours, you can complete all or some of the Skógafoss waterfall hike. We hiked for three hours here. The joy of this hike is it is an out and back hike; so you can hike as much or as little as you choose. We’ll go through the portion that we hiked so that you know what to expect and can plan your Skógafoss waterfall hike.
When to Visit
First, Skógafoss is a beautiful waterfall that is easy to visit year round. It’s close to the Ring Road and close to a large and well maintained parking lot.
However, the Skógafoss waterfall hike is for the summer. You start your hike by climbing lots of stairs, which you don’t want to do with ice on the trail. You’ll also find that parts of the trail are muddy, even in the summer. We only assume this mud is worse if you visit in the spring when snow is melting.
Getting There
Skógafoss is 2 hours from Reykjavík and 30 minutes from Vík on Route 1 – The Ring Road. The road to Skógafoss is well paved and well marked.
Once you arrive, Skógafoss has a large and FREE parking area. This is a completely FREE thing to do!
Skógafoss Waterfall
Whether you choose to do the Skógafoss waterfall hike or not, we still think you should stop to see Skógafoss. This waterfall is beautiful and one of the best waterfalls in Iceland! You can walk right up to the spray. It’s a fun little game to play with everyone else there: who is willing to get the wettest to get a photo.
It’s also super crowded at Skógafoss. We visited right after lunchtime. There were tons of people here and you really had to get wet to get a photo without other people in it. However, one thing we noticed about Iceland is that people here do not wake up early or go out after dinner. So if you’re visiting during the long summer days and staying nearby, consider coming early or late in the day to avoid the crowds.
Skógafoss Waterfall Hike
- Distance: 0-8 miles
- Elevation Gain: Minimal – after a giant staircase
- Time: 1-6 hours
- Difficulty: Easy – after a giant staircase
After you’ve enjoyed the photos from the base of the waterfall, now it is time to start the Skógafoss waterfall hike! Again, this is an out and back hike, so just walk it until you’re halfway out of time or halfway tired and then turn around.
First, you’ll have to climb an inordinate amount of stair to get to the top of the Skógafoss waterfall. Don’t worry if you need to take breaks. Other people stop as well and just hop to the side of this wide staircase. This was the most physically exhausting part of the hike for us. Once at the top, you get some great views from the top of the Skógafoss waterfall from the viewing platforms.
The first section of the trail really is the best. I feel like we saw great views after every little hill.
Hestavadsfoss
Hestavadsfoss is the first waterfall along the Skógafoss waterfall hike. This is actually one of the most beautiful. And part of this is because the views of the fall are head on and uninterrupted.
Fosstorfufoss
Who doesn’t love a waterfall called Fosstorfufoss. While the cascading falls weren’t the best, the name was sure fun to say over and over.
Steinbogafoss
Next, Steinbogafoss is a stunner. You get a great head on view of this rather large falls.
And it’s also where a majority of people turn around. From here onward, the views of the falls become harder to get as there are lots of cliffs in the way. It’s still beautiful, just not as photogenic. Also, the trail becomes less well marked. You can still tell where you should walk and how far you have gone using the mile markers. However, the falls no longer have nice viewing areas and signs explaining which falls you are at.
Femri-Fellsfoss
Next along the trail is the Fellsfoss waterfalls. There are two sections of the Fellsfoss waterfall. This waterfall is hard to see as it is in the middle of a large cliff. So to get a good view, you have to go to a cliff’s edge. Be very careful here getting photos.
Rollutorfufoss
Rollutorfufoss is another beautiful falls along this Skógafoss waterfall hike. This gently flowing falls is easy to view from the hiking area.
Cascading Falls
Cascading Falls is a beautiful and large falls. However it is also tucked in a little cliff. The best views of this are actually from pretty far away. You keep walking and thinking the view will get better and it doesn’t, which is why we don’t have a picture of it. We kept waiting for the perfect shot. However, it is another impressive waterfall.
Hidden Falls
The last falls we stopped at was Hidden falls. And it is pretty hidden. This is where the charm of this hike wore off for us and we decided to turn around.
Keep Going??
The next waterfalls along this hike are Stormy Falls, Sunset Falls, Flowering Falls and Bridge Falls. Once you get to bridge falls, you will definitely want to turn around as continuing on becomes a serious time commitment. Also, you’ll wander out of this beautiful green hilly area and into the more gravelly gray flatland.
Again, the great thing about this Skógafoss waterfall hike is that you can turn around whenever you choose. We kept stopping people who were on the return journey to ask what was next on the trail. We kept going until someone said “not much”. The walk back will be faster, but still make sure to take time to enjoy the views.
One last thing to be mentioned is that some of this hike is through private land. You’ll see a clear trail for the whole hike – stay on it! Some sections of the trail will have guide ropes to keep you on the trail but really you should stay on the trail all the time. One of the most amazing things about Iceland is all of the free places you can visit! If property owners have to start putting up fences because people can’t stay on a marked trail, I think it’s safe to assume that they would have to start changing an entrance fee. So help keep Iceland beautiful, wild and FREE and stay on the trail and practice leave no trace hiking principles.
What to Pack
Don’t forget to pack your camera and a tripod. If you hike the whole Fimmvörðuháls trail, we’re told you’ll see 26 waterfalls in total – we didn’t count. But the Skógafoss waterfall hike is a photographers dream trail so bring the full camera bag.
You’ll also want shoes with a good tread. You don’t have to have hiking shoes but because of the muddy trails you’ll want something with a good tread that you won’t mind getting dirty. I did this hike in my rain boots and it worked really well.
As you may be hiking for hours, remember to bring a full hydration pack with you and pack a picnic if you’re visiting during mealtime.
And lastly, don’t forget to bring your rain jacket, even if it is a nice day. You’ll want your rain jacket on at the base of Skógafoss so that you can get nice and close without being worried about getting wet.
We hope this has helped you to plan your trip to this amazing waterfall and prepared you for completing even a short portion of the Skógafoss waterfall hike. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments section below or check out all of our Iceland posts for more vacation planning ideas.
