Skógafoss

Take Highway 1 east from the town of Hvolsvöllur for 47km, then turn left where signs point prominently to Skógafoss (the falls are visible and very obvious at this point). In half of a kilometer take the next left and follow the road to its end adjacent to the camping area. The trail to the top of the falls begins adjacent to the grass field at the camping area, climbing up several hundreds of stairs for about one-third of a kilometer to a viewing platform at the top of the falls, with another (undeveloped) view available about halfway to the top.Skógafoss is possibly the most famous waterfall along Iceland's Ring Road, simply by proxy of being within an easy drive of Reykjavik and being prominently visible from the highway, however the falls are quite significant and make a very strong and lasting impression when they first come into view. The falls are formed as the river Skógá makes its final plunge off of the broad plateau formed between the now famous Eyjafjallajökull and Katla volcanoes, plunging a sheer 227 feet into a huge amphitheater. The considerable size of the Skógá coupled with the basalt bedrock allows the water to sheet out across a broad span, allowing the falls to stretch to over 100 feet in width on average. This pairing of considerable height and width elevates Skógafoss to the upper echelon of Iceland's waterfalls. Visitors can take in the views from the misty base of the falls, or undertake the grueling climb to the top of the falls by way of hundreds and hundreds of stairs - the climb up which is considerably more exhausting than it first appears, take our word for it. A little more than half way to the top of the falls, a path branches to a viewpoint on a natural promontory next to a rock spire along the edge of the cliff. The view of the falls from this point is not only considerably different than from the base, but also allows for up close views of the nesting habitat of the sea birds which can so often be seen riding the updrafts around the falls and circling overhead.Skóga is Icelandic for Forest, but what this refers to is not entirely clear since there aren't any forests (or trees of any kind for that matter) of any sort in this part of Iceland.