NatureInterest 4/5
Hengifoss
Hengifoss is a 128-metre waterfall in Fljótsdalshreppur, East Iceland, and the third-highest waterfall in the country. It is reached by a 40-60 minute hike from the parking area, passing the columnar-basalt waterfall Litlanesfoss along the way, and is the most popular hiking destination in East Iceland.
Region
East Iceland
Coordinates
65.0953° N, 14.8897° W
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- 6+
- Requires children to manage a roughly 5 km round-trip hike on uneven terrain; not stroller-friendly.
- Allow
- 2 hrs
- Approach
- 4 km · 2 hrs. Approximate round trip from the service centre and parking area to Hengifoss, passing Litlanesfoss; Visit Austurland describes about 2 km each way on a moderately steep gravel trail.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · None
- Reaching the falls requires a 40-60 minute hike on an unpaved, uneven, and partly steep trail from the parking area; no accessible path or facilities are provided.
- Limited mobility · Limited
- The route is a sustained uphill hike on uneven trail with limited rest and no stroller-friendly surface.
- Sensory · Partial
- Open mountain weather, wind, waterfall sound, and height exposure near viewpoints can be noticeable.
- Cognitive · Partial
- The trail is straightforward but requires pacing and awareness of steep edges and changing weather.
Why it matters
The waterfall cuts through striking layered basalt strata interbedded with thin red claystone bands, exposing fossilized coniferous tree trunks and lignite deposits that record climatic shifts during the Tertiary period. These sedimentary layers make the site a notable field example of Iceland's volcanic and paleoclimatic history.