Svartifoss is a roughly 20-metre waterfall set against dark basalt columns in Skaftafell. The standard visit follows an uphill 5.8-kilometre circuit from the national park's visitor area rather than a roadside stop.
Waterfall facts
Svartifoss drops for roughly 20 metres over a dark cliff in Skaftafell. The waterfall is not unusually high by Icelandic standards; the close wall of basalt columns is what gives it a character of its own.
The columns formed when lava filled an old river channel about 300,000 years ago. As the lava cooled, the rock contracted and split into the geometric shapes now exposed around the falling water. Broken column ends lie below the cliff, while birch-covered slopes and the narrow stream keep the scene from feeling like a bare rock face.
You first see the waterfall from the marked viewpoint across the stream. Staying on the path protects the fragile ground and also gives the clearest view of the whole cliff. The setting is compact, so the visit is about seeing the rock and water together rather than finding a series of separate viewpoints.
Photo guide
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The stream approach emphasizes the walk-in character of Svartifoss.
Svartifoss is reached from the Skaftafell visitor area. The national park's S2 route forms a 5.8-kilometre circuit through Svartifoss, Sjónarsker and Sel, with an official estimate of about two hours.
The path climbs from the start, passing the smaller Hundafoss and Magnúsarfoss before reaching Svartifoss. The official easy grade is relative to other park trails; it does not mean level ground. Expect a sustained uphill section, mixed walking surfaces and enough distance that stopping for photographs can noticeably extend the walk.
Continuing around the circuit avoids retracing the entire approach. Sjónarsker opens a wider view over the lowlands, and Sel preserves a turf-roofed farm site on the descent. Those stops make the S2 route more than a direct walk to one waterfall, without turning it into a full-day hike.
Waterfall geology and the current S2 and S6 route records.
The S6 route continues beyond the waterfall toward Sjónarnípa, a higher viewpoint over Skaftafellsjökull and the surrounding outwash plain. The park lists it as 7.1 kilometres, 2.5–3 hours and challenging.
This extension is worthwhile when the glacier view is part of the reason for walking and the weather is clear enough to reveal it. If cloud hides the higher ground, the extra distance may add effort without adding much to the experience. The standard S2 circuit remains a complete visit when Svartifoss itself is the priority.
Do not confuse the S6 extension with the shorter route to the waterfall. Its challenging grade, additional exposure and longer time estimate make it a separate decision, especially in wind, ice or limited daylight.
Both routes are ordinary hikes rather than technical climbs, but weather and surface conditions can change them quickly. Rain makes rock and soil slippery, and winter or shoulder-season ice can make even the standard circuit more demanding.
Check the national park's notices before leaving the visitor area and use the conditions you can see, not only the time printed on a route description. Walking shoes, a weatherproof layer and enough daylight matter more here than elaborate equipment in normal conditions. Turn back if footing or visibility is worse than expected.
Skaftafell is reached from Route 1, but a clear road does not guarantee a clear trail. Road conditions, the local forecast and park advice answer different questions, so check each when the weather is unsettled.
Current park access, visitor services and notices.
Current conditions on the drive to Skaftafell.
Svartifoss works best as the main short walk at Skaftafell, not as another box to tick between long drives. Two hours is a useful starting allowance for the standard circuit, with extra time for the visitor area and unhurried stops.
The wider Skaftafell area has separate glacier walks and longer mountain routes, so there is no need to combine them all in one visit. Vatnajökull provides the national-park context, while Jökulsárlón is a different glacier experience farther east rather than part of the same stop.
If technical climbing is the aim rather than a marked park walk, Hnappavellir is a separate specialist area farther east; it is not an extension of the Svartifoss route.
Choose Svartifoss when the basalt setting and the walk appeal to you. If the day only has room for a brief pull-off, leave it for another time; the path is part of the place, not an inconvenience between the car park and the view.
By ThorPublished Updated
