Hike-in Required
No
Open Year-round
Yes
ADA accessible
No
Guided tours
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Skógafoss is a 60-meter (197-foot) waterfall along southern Iceland's Skógá River. With a tall sheer drop about 15 meters wide, Skógafoss is a popular stop along Iceland's Ring Road. It is possible to walk to the edge of the shallow pool at the base of the falls. A 525-step stairclimb heads up the hillside to the right of the falls and leads to a viewing platform overlooking the top of the falls and the neighboring area. The cliffs here once made up the land's coastline, although the coastline currently lies about 5km away. From the top, a trail continues up along the Skógá River, passing by numerous other smaller falls as it continues up.

A popular Icelandic legend has it that a past Viking settler, Þrasi Þórólfsson, left a treasure chest behind the falls, promising riches to the first person who found it. Later, a group of locals sought the chest, and hooked it, however when they pulled it out, the hook only pulled the chest's ring free, with the chest remaining behind. The ring is on display at the nearby Skogar Museum.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

None

Pros

Amazingly scenic waterfall! Different viewing perspectives available.

Cons

Crowded.

Pets allowed

Not Allowed

Features

Waterfalls
Big vistas
Picnic tables
Wildflowers
Family friendly

Location

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