Fagradalsfjall / Geldingadalir Eruption Site
Fagradalsfjall / Geldingadalir
Fagradalsfjall is a 385-metre tuya-type mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula; the Geldingadalir valley just south of it was the site of a high-profile effusive volcanic eruption that drew hundreds of thousands of hikers to watch lava fountains and flows up close. The eruption produced the new Fagradalshraun lava field, now crossed by marked hiking trails.
Region
Reykjanes Peninsula
Coordinates
63.9050° N, 22.2725° W
Important to know
- High danger
- Hazards include rough volcanic terrain, steep sections, rapid weather changes, potential gas warnings, unstable new lava, and limited shelter.
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- 10+
- A strenuous multi-hour hike over uneven volcanic terrain, best suited to reasonably fit older children and adults rather than young children.
- Allow
- 5 hrs
- Effort · Hard
- A multi-hour hike over volcanic gravel and scree with meaningful elevation gain; not an easy roadside viewpoint.
- Approach
- 14 km · 5 hrs. Approximate round trip from the marked parking/trailhead area; main coordinates are reused because exact trailhead varies by active route and closure status.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · None
- Reaching the eruption site requires a multi-hour hike (roughly 7 km each way with about 300 m of elevation gain) over loose gravel, scree, and steep, rope-assisted sections; it is explicitly not wheelchair accessible.
- Limited mobility · None
- The route requires sustained hiking over loose volcanic terrain with elevation gain and no easy bailout once committed.
- Sensory · Limited
- Wind, barren exposure, sulfur or gas concerns near recent lava, crowd surges during eruption periods, and rough footing can be intense.
- Cognitive · Limited
- Route conditions and closures change, and visitors must follow safety updates, weather, and volcanic-gas warnings.
Why it matters
The eruption began on 19 March 2021 after months of intense seismic activity, the first eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula in roughly 800 years following about 6,000 years of dormancy in the Fagradalsfjall system, and it ran intermittently until 18 September 2021. It was followed by further eruptions nearby in 2022 and 2023 (Litli-Hrútur), part of a new eruptive episode that has reawakened volcanism across the peninsula.