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Vatnajökull National Park

Vatnajökull National Park

Vatnajökull National Park is one of Iceland's three national parks, and encompasses the whole of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier, along with a large fr...
Vatnajökull National Park is one of Iceland's three national parks, and encompasses the whole of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier, along with a large swathe around it. In total, the park covers approximately 14% of Iceland's land area. It includes the Skaftafell and Jökulsárgljúfur national parks within its borders. The Vatnajökull glacier itself has an area of over 8000 km2, 8% of Iceland's landmass. It reaches an altitude of 2000 metres at its highest point and covers many active volcanoes, including Grímsvötn, Iceland's most active volcano with several eruptions recorded in recent years (1996, 1998, 2004 and 2011).The park's diverse landscape was the result of the power of the region's many rivers, glacial ice and volcanic activity. Many of Iceland's most impressive natural attractions can be found here, including the Askja, Bárðarbunga and Grímsvötn volcanoes, Ásbyrgi Canyon and the imposing Dettifoss waterfall in the northern region of the park; and the lush oasis of Skaftafell, the volcanic fissures of Eldgjá and Lakagígar and Iceland's highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur, in the far south.The national park is so large that it is divided into four territories and includes five visitor centres: Skaftafell, Gamlabúð in Höfn, Skaftárstofa in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Snæfellsstofa in Skriðuklaustur and Gljúfrastofa in Ásbyrgi. There are also many interesting hiking trails within the park, rated from easy to challenging, and hiking maps are available at the visitor centres. Always pay attention to all signs and warnings when hiking and never stray from marked trails or paths.
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