Svartifoss

" 1.25 mile round trip hike. passing by 2 smaller falls on the way. Svartifoss was perhaps the signature attraction of Skaftafell National Park in the East Region of the country (though it felt more like the southeast region to us if there was such an official designation). The reason why we made this claim was that it possessed pronounced hanging hexagonal basalt columns beneath a 20m tall waterfall. Although this combination of basalt columns and a waterfall was not unique (as we had seen numerous examples of these around the world, including Iceland itself), this waterfall seemed to get the lion's share of the popularity and fame. We suspect this might be because the basalt columns had an obvious geometrical shape, the falls was relatively easy to access and admire from up close (while also giving us a bit of a geology lesson), and the falls possessed a year-round flow in a landscape that contained glaciers, volcanoes, and large tracts of black sand [sandur] (i.e. it was quintessential raw Icelandic scenery). The name of the falls translated into something like "Black Falls" which might be attributable to the darkness of the underlying basalt columns. We've typically found such features where there seemed to be evidence of basaltic lava being rapidly cooled by evidence of ice (e.g. the Devil's Postpile formation in the Eastern Sierras of California as well as Kirkjugólf near Kirkjubæjarklaustur). Contextual look at Svartifoss as we were descending to its base Basaltic lava (said to be very iron-rich) tended to be very hard so over time, so the thermal stress of the rapid temperature fluctuations on the hard basalt resulted in fractures at the weakest joints the lava, which happened to be vertical and at 120-degree angles thereby resulting in the hexagonal columns. In fact, the columns of Svartifoss were such a distinctive feature that it was said to inspire Icelandic architecture. We saw evidence of this when we visited the Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík. In addition to the worthwhile excursion to see this waterfall, we were surprised to find that there were three other waterfalls in the area (Hundafoss, Magnúsarfoss, and Þjófafoss) as well as the glacier Skaftafellsjökull (probably pronounced "SKAP-tuh-fells-yuk-ul"). This is Halgrimskirkja in Reykjavik. Do you see the inspiration from the basalt columns in the architecture? We started the Svartifoss hike from the visitor center (see directions below), and then we then proceeded to follow the signs and hike roughly 1.5km along a well-used and well-defined trail. The hike began with a serious climb as the trail left the vast sandur and entered into more hilly terrain. The bright side of the aerobic workout on the ascent was that it would be downhill on the return. More than two-thirds up the ascent, we noticed a signpost and lookout for Hundafoss, which meant "Dog Falls." We weren't certain how this waterfall got its name, but perhaps it had to do with a dog that fell over the falls for one reason or another and was named in its honor. In any case, this was an attractive waterfall where we noticed plunging over a cliff and provided a nice photo stop to break up the uphill hike. Just minutes after visiting Hundafoss, we then saw another signpost and lookout, but this time it was for the waterfall Magnúsarfoss. This was a bit shorter than Hundafoss, but it featured a profile view of the ravine downstream of the falls while it appeared that some hikers scrambled to get right up to the waterfall's top. Beyond Magnúsarfoss, the climb finally started to flatten out. After a few more minutes on the trail, we encountered a trail junction where the trail coming in from the left was from an alternate car park that we noticed tour bus passengers would come from. It turned out that people who came from this path (which we dubbed the "cheater's path") would have missed out on Hundafoss and Magnúsarfoss, but they would essentially cut their overall hike that we were doing by"

"Svartifoss, translating to "Black Waterfall" in Icelandic, is a captivating gem nestled within Skaftafell Nature Reserve, part of Vatnajökull National Park in southeast Iceland . Despite its modest height of 66 feet (20 meters), Svartifoss is renowned for its dramatic beauty and unique geological setting. Svartifoss' defining characteristic is the stark contrast between the cascading water and the surrounding rock formations. The powerful glacial meltwater tumbles down a cliff face composed of dark, hexagonal basalt columns. These columns, resembling a giant organ's pipes, were formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. The juxtaposition of the jet-black rock and the cascading white water creates a mesmerizing visual spectacle, truly earning Svartifoss its nickname "Black Waterfall.""

"💦 Svartifoss waterfall is spectacular, framed by 300,000-year-old basalt columns. 🚶 From the visitor center, it's about a 2-hour round trip hike, with many gradual ups on the way to the waterfall. ❄️ While this area isn't as snowy as other parts of Iceland in the winter, you should check at the visitor's centre to see if the trail is safe if you are visiting from November to February. 💦 The hike takes you through an "Icelandic" forest and past Hundafoss, a smaller waterfall, before arriving at the showstopper. 📸 PHOTOGRAPHY NOTES: 👉 There's a bridge and viewing platform as you get closer to the waterfall. 💦 My favourite shots were taken by going down along the river. "