GeologicalInterest 4/5
Stórurð
Stórurð, the Giant Boulders, is a dramatic field of enormous glacier-strewn rocks and turquoise pools at the foot of the jagged Dyrfjöll mountains near Borgarfjörður eystri in East Iceland. It is one of the region's signature hikes, reached in several hours over marked mountain trails, most commonly from the Vatnsskarð pass on Route 94.
Region
East Iceland
Coordinates
65.5147° N, 13.9965° W
Important to know
- Seasonal access
- Hikeable only in the snow-free summer season once the high passes clear.
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- 12+
- Best for fit older children, teens, and adults comfortable with a long mountain hike over rough ground and possible snow patches.
- Effort · Hard
- A demanding full-day hike of roughly 16 km over passes and rough ground; several route options vary in length.
- Approach
- 16 km · 5 hrs. Approximate round trip from the Vatnsskarð car park on Route 94 over marked mountain trails; other trailheads offer longer or shorter variants.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · None
- There is no accessible route; Stórurð is reached only by a long mountain hike.
- Limited mobility · None
- The trails cross high passes, boulder terrain, and streams over several hours.
- Sensory · Partial
- A remote open-mountain setting with wind and weather and no facilities.
- Cognitive · Partial
- Marked trails help, but route choices, distance, and mountain weather require planning and judgment.
Why it matters
The boulders were left behind as the ice retreated, and the clear pools that gather among them give Stórurð its otherworldly look. The hike is only feasible in summer once the snow has cleared from the high passes.