Hengifoss

Hengifoss in the Fljótsdalur valley in east Iceland, at 128 m, is the country’s third-highest waterfall. It drops over layers of basalt separated by thin red bands of clay. These layers contain fossilised conifer trunks and lignite, pointing to a warmer climate in the late Tertiary. The falls lie on the river Hengifossá in the municipality of Fljótsdalshreppur and are the most visited hiking destination in East Iceland.

The car park is beside road 931, and the walk is about 5 km there and back. Depending on your pace, the climb takes 40 to 60 minutes. On the way you pass Litlanesfoss, which is roughly 25 to 30 m high, lies about halfway up the same river and is framed by strikingly tall basalt columns that resemble organ pipes. In summer rangers give advice at the car park.