Skogafoss: Awesome Iceland Waterfall
A rainbow at the base of the magnificent Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland.
Skogafoss waterfall in Iceland is awesome. Here’s the best ways to explore and photograph this spectacular site.
Situated on the Skoga river, and one of Iceland’s premier tourist sites, Skogafoss really is a sight to behold.
The cliffs that created this waterfall were once part of the country's former coastline, now around five kilometers away.
With the massive growth in tourism Iceland has experienced since 2010 Skogafoss is now an extremely highly touristed location.
However, despite the crowds, Skogafoss is absolutely worth a visit and it's still possible to make really good photos of this mighty waterfall.
Take a look at this image of a tiny rainbow forming at the bottom of Skogafoss waterfall. As you can see there’s a lot of spray being generated by the waterfall.
I made the image by finding some shelter underneath a rock overhang by the side of the falls.
While water spray did settle on my lens I was able to mop it up between photos with a camera lens wipe.
Notice the careful composition which, despite my secluded position, allowed me to show almost all of the waterfall while still including important areas of rock, moss, water and sky.
Notice too the highly textured surfaces across the image, including the waterfall.
It’s a tricky decision as to whether waterfalls should be photographed in such a way that blurs the water or records it at varying degrees of sharpness.
In this case I opted for a shutter speed that produced a degree of texture in the waterfall that’s something like what’s visible in the rock face, distant moss covered slope and clouds.
Skógafoss Waterfall Facts
Here’s some interesting facts about Skógafoss:
It has a drop of 60 meters (i.e., 200 feet) and a width of 15 meters (i.e., 49 feet).
There are 438 steps that take you from the bottom to the top of Skógafoss.
Skógafoss generates an enormous spray.
Sunlight often produces lovely rainbows in front of the waterfall.
It's not uncommon to see double rainbows appearing at Skógafoss on a sunny day.
There are restrooms at Skógafoss. You'll find them on the right hand side of the entrance to the car park. Just be aware it costs money to use the toilets at Skógafoss.
The spectacular Skógafoss waterfall has featured in motion picture films including the following:
Thor: The Dark World
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
The waterfall also appears in Season 5 of the spectacular History series Vikings.
Experience Skógafoss by walking, though the mist, to the waterfall base.
Skógafoss: How to Get There?
Skógafoss (foss means waterfall in Icelandic) is about 150 kilometers (i.e., 97miles) from Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik.
You should allow at least 2 hours for the drive between Reykjavik and Skógafoss.
It's a fun and highly interesting drive, but allow plenty of time as there’s so much to see and photograph along the way.
Seljalandsfoss is another famous waterfall in Iceland. You can expect the 29 km drive from Seljalandsfoss to Skogafoss to take around 30 minutes.
As well as being a busy road with lots of tourists it’s also very beautiful country. Please take your time and drive slowly and carefully.
It’s my view that the best way to explore Iceland is by renting a hire car. However, there's also lots of day tours and longer, boutique photography tours to consider.
As most Iceland tours are concentrated along the country's south coast a visit to Skogafoss is almost certainly going to be on the itinerary.
Access to the waterfall is via a fairly flat track of between one and two hundred meters from the carpark.
As you see in the warm tone black and white photo the amount of spray and mist produced under the falls is significant.
I really like the photo because of the transient quality it exhibits. We expect a lot of information in photos, but sometimes it more important to obscure detail as a way of introducing mystery into the image.
It’s a technique that encourages the view to look longer and, in doing so, make up their own story, meaning or interpretation as to what the photos is about.
Visit Skogar
Located in lovely country and just 1 minute drive from Skogafoss (also known as the Skogar waterfall) is the tiny village of Skogar.
Skogar, which translates as forests, is well worth a look and some exploration.
If you have the time why not take a walk in the forest. It’s lovely and contains some historic remains.
Skogar Museum: A Lovely Surprise
With a population of only 25 people the lovely village of Skogar houses the Skogar Museum.
A substantial cultural heritage collection, housing 18,000 regional folk craft artifacts, Skogar Museum comprises 6 historical buildings and the following 3 museums.
Skogar Folk Museum
Skogar Open Air Museum
Skogar Technical Museum
Photography enthusiasts should particularly enjoy the opportunities for great photography of traditional Icelandic houses and buildings on display at the Skogar Open Air Museum.
The comfortable Skogakaffi Cafe, located inside the Technical Museum, is a pleasant place that serves good quality snacks.
During the busier spring and summer tourist seasons soup of the day and freshly baked bread is added to the menu at the Skogakaffi Cafe.
Yummy! Surely that’s reason enough to visit the Skogar museum.
Skogafoss Accommodation
While Iceland is spectacularly beautiful it's a very expensive country to visit.
Food and accommodation are particularly expensive and that's what you'll find around Skogafoss.
Unless you're planning to head back to Reykjavik, I'd recommend spending the night in the nearby towns of Vik or Selfoss.
However, if you feel you need to stay closer to the waterfall, there are numerous accommodation options nearby.
Hotel Skogafoss
For example the secluded 2-star Hotel Skogafoss is located close to the foot of the Eyjafjalla Glacier.
The hotel is only a 5-minute walk from Skógafoss waterfall
Skógasafn Folk Museum is only 2 km away.
Hotel Skogar
Likewise the 3-star Hotel Skogar looks good and is located in a fantastic setting.
Just remember to consider your accommodation options carefully as finding a bed for a night or two is quite expensive near Skogafoss.
Having said that, Hotel Skogar looks good and I may well stay there on my next visit to Skogafoss.
Skogafoss Camping
There are several camping options very close to Skogafoss. Reviews vary and, as I haven’t stayed at any of these sites, I’m not able to make any recommendations.
Nonetheless, by being located so close to the waterfall, the convenience of these sites is undeniable.
Your camping options near Skogafoss are as follows:
Skógar Campsite
Skogafoss Camping
Hamragardar
One or more of these Skogafoss camping options may well be worth checking out, particularly if you find yourself stuck for accommodation.
Skogafoss Restaurants
You’ll find the following restaurants conveniently situated near the might Skogafoss waterfall.
Mia’s Country Van
Hotel Skogafoss Bistro and Bar
Restaurant Hotel Skogar
Again, prices are high. If you’re traveling on a budget stock up in Reykjavik before you embark on your Iceland adventure.
It’s always good to carry plenty of food and drinks on a road trip. That’s particularly the case in Iceland where cold and wet weather, not to mention hiking, can really build an appetite.
During those wonderfully long summer days you can expect to do lots of driving and, with all the wonderful hikes on offer, end up putting your body under quite a bit of stress.
Please be sure to look after yourself by keeping up your fluid and calorie intake.
Spectacular Skogafoss waterfall as I climb the steps to the top.
Making the Most of Your Skogafoss Adventure
Most folks pull into the carpark at Skogafoss, get out of the car and kick back while taking in the views.
Some even take a few extra minutes to take the short walk to the base of the waterfall to experience the tremendous spray up close and personal.
It's quite an experience which I recommend, though make sure you're properly attired if you choose to do so.
I also recommend an extended stay of, at least, an hour or two at Skogafoss. This will give you the opportunity to explore and photograph the location from a variety of different viewpoints.
To begin with you should photograph the waterfall from different distances and with both wide-angle and telephoto focal lengths.
You'll find an interesting viewpoint that extends from the lovely Skoga river all the way up to the top of the waterfalls.
You can then follow the river all the way to the base of the waterfall. If the sun's out you'll likely see one or more rainbows forming around the bottom of the waterfall.
The closer you get to the base of the waterfall the more clearly visible those rainbows will appear.
It’s my view that the awesome power of Skógafoss is best experienced by walking along the side of the Skoga river and continuing, though the mist, towards the base of the waterfall.
Just be prepared for a soaking as Skogafoss is famous for the amount of mist and spray it generates.
I’d advise you wear a waterproof jacket and sturdy, ideally, waterproof walking boots.
With so much spray generated it gets pretty slippery around the base of the Skogafoss waterfall.
That's the case at anytime of year, but particularly so during winter when water, snow and ice can make your exploration quite precarious.
If you're traveling to Iceland during winter and expect to be visiting waterfalls, ice caves and glaciers you really should bring crampons with you.
When venturing into the landscape, even when it's just a few minutes walk from the car, it's important to be properly attired.
Why risk ruining your Iceland adventure through injury that, with the right clothing and footwear, you may well have prevented?
View from the mighty Skógafoss waterfall to the carpark and Skoga River.
How to Photograph Skógafoss
The fact that the waterfall is set back from the carpark provides plenty of space for folks to find interesting vantage points for their photos.
Standing back will allow you to fit the whole waterfall into your viewfinder while using the river as a compositional device to lead the viewer's eye through the frame.
For a unique view, not to mention a quick workout, climb the steep stairway to the top of the Skogafoss waterfall to follow the course of the river on its journey over the waterfall and then down to the sea.
You’ll find the way up to the top of the falls on the right had side of Skogafoss. It's a path for some of the way and metal steps for the rest.
On the way up you'll want to stop and, while pretending to admire the view, catch your breath a few times.
Actually there are several great spots to stop along the way up and make photos, as I did. Scroll up a little way and you’ll see a photo I made about half way up the steep stairs.
I framed the composition in a way to emphasize the lush green foliage nourished by the spray from the waterfall.
What’s more it's only a five to ten minute climb to the top.
It really is worthwhile taking some photos on the way up as they’ll serve to place the waterfall in the surrounding landscape and also tell the story of just how many tourists this place gets.
Once you've reached the top of your climb there's a platform from where you'll have the ability to photograph across the top of the waterfall, up river or back down towards the car park and sea.
The views across the top of the waterfall and up river speak to the beauty of nature.
Contrast that with the black and white photo above that showcases the view along the Skoga river and down towards the sea.
Now we get a sense of the difficultly of the climb and the high level of tourism that descends upon Skogafoss.
We’re able to tell so many different stories through the photos we make. The reality we create, therefore, has a lot to do with two very simple principals:
What you include in the photos you make.
What you exclude from the photos you make.
The Skogafoss hike begins near the lush top of Skogafoss waterfall.
Skogafoss Hike
The Skogafoss hike is a spectacular 6.8 kilometer hike, that follows a loop trail, from the top of the waterfall.
I'm yet to undertake the Skogafoss waterfall hike, though I'm told it includes 8 smaller waterfalls.
Best undertaken between the months of April and October the Skogafoss hike is probably best rated as moderate on the difficulty scale.
I'm told the hike starts off quite flat. After a while it changes and you'll find yourself having to traverse steep and, often, muddy paths.
The word is that the final views on the trail are particularly spectacular.
The next time I go to Iceland, unless it's in the middle of winter, the Skogafoss waterfall hike will definitely be on my itinerary.
Is Skógafoss Worth A Visit?
If it's your first visit to Iceland I'd definitely recommend a visit to Skógafoss.
It’s an extremely accessible location with plenty of car parking and the added advantage of being one of the most magnificent and visually powerful sites in all of Iceland.
The above photo, made across the top of the waterfall, showcases the lush and geographically interesting landscape surrounding Skógafoss.
It's such a well known location and there's always plenty of water flowing over the falls.
Due to its size and the massive amounts of spray it generates, it can be quite an exciting place to visit.
However, Skógafoss is by no means Iceland's most beautiful waterfall.
If you’ve already visited the location on your first trip you might be better off choosing one or more other waterfalls next time around.
Alternatively, consider visiting Skógafoss either very early or very late in the day when, with luck, you’ll experience more beautiful lighting and far less people.
If you have a tripod and a neutral density filter, a more creative approach to photographing Skogafoss, involving a very long exposure time, would be well worth the effort.
I've had the good fortune to photograph Skógafoss on two separate trips. Will I re-visit on my next trip?
That depends on my itinerary, the time of year and how long I have in the country.
If it was during the summer months, and my time in Iceland was short, I'd move on as there are so many other amazing places to photograph, many of which are not as heavily touristed as Skógafoss.
But I’d like to photograph the waterfall during the middle of winter when, with luck, at least part of the waterfall would be covered in ice.
Add to that a snow covered landscape and amazing photos would surely follow.
Due to its rural location Skogafoss would also be great to photograph at night.
The opportunities for astrophotography or to view and photograph the Northern Lights over the waterfall would be incredible.
Skogafoss hasn’t seen the last of me yet.
