Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Kolugljúfur is a narrow canyon on the salmon river Víðidalsá in Víðidalur, North Iceland, with a run of waterfalls known as Kolufossar. It is about 1 km long and 40–50 m deep, around 6 km off the Ring Road on Road 715 and about 200 km (around 2 hours 30 minutes) from Reykjavík. It is free to visit, open all year, and most people spend 30–45 minutes there.
Kolugljúfur, also called Kolugil, is a gorge in the salmon river Víðidalsá, which runs through the valley of Víðidalur in the north-west. The river drops into the canyon in a cluster of falls, together called Kolufossar, and then runs for about 1 km between steep rock walls. The canyon is 40–50 m deep at its deepest and up to about 60 m across.
It lies in front of the farm Víðidalstunga, only a few minutes' drive from the Ring Road, so it is an easy stop on the way between Reykjavík and Akureyri. You do not have to hike to see it: a road bridge crosses the gorge right above the falls, with a small viewing platform beside it, and short paths run along the rim.
The setting is green and brown farmland with white water in the gorge below, calmer than the lava canyons further east. It is still one of the quieter stops in North Iceland. Even in summer you will often share it with only a few other cars.
The canyon is named after the giantess Kola, and the edges are steep and mostly unfenced. Both are good reasons to slow down here: read the story below, and keep well back from the drop while you take your photos.
The gorge is named after Kola, a giantess (some say troll-woman) who is said to have dug the canyon herself and lived in it. In the folklore the whole landscape around the gorge was shaped by her daily life: where she slept, where she fished and where she cooked.
Kola is said to have lived on a ledge on the west side of the gorge, and to have slept there too. The ledge is known as Kolurúm, Kola's bed. From it she would reach down into the river with her bare hands and pull out a salmon, which she mostly ate raw.
When she wanted a cooked meal she used Koluketill, Kola's kettle or cauldron, a hole in the ground nearby that was said to hold boiling water. The old farm name Kolugil comes from the same story, and the falls and rock shelves are still pointed out as places tied to her.
The gravel on Road 715 is normally in good condition and fine for an ordinary car in summer. Drive slowly, especially where the road narrows at the bridge.
Everything is within a few minutes' walk of the car park. Give yourself half an hour and see the canyon from both sides.
The path is plain dirt and grass. It gets slippery after rain or snow, and it runs close to the edge in places.
Kolugljúfur has been named in Iceland as one of the more dangerous tourist stops in the country. The reason is simple: the drop is 40 m or more, the edges are grassy and can be undercut, and apart from the platform and a short length of fence there are no railings.
Keep your distance from the edge, and do not step backwards while you frame a photo. Hold on to children the whole time and keep dogs on a lead. The river below is strong and cold, and there is no safe way down into the gorge.
There is a small free parking area with an information sign, a viewing platform and the bridge. There are no toilets, café or shop at the site; the nearest services are in Hvammstangi and at the Ring Road service stops.
There are farm stays and cottages in Víðidalur itself, only a few kilometres from the gorge, which suit an overnight stop on the Ring Road; book ahead in summer. Hvammstangi and Blönduós both have guesthouses and hotels within easy reach and make a good base for Kolugljúfur and the wider Vatnsnes peninsula.
Turn south off the Ring Road onto Road 715 (Víðidalsvegur) and drive about 6 km on gravel. Park by the information sign and walk onto the bridge over the gorge.
A giantess or troll-woman in local legend, said to have dug the canyon, slept on a ledge on its west side and caught salmon from the river with her bare hands.
About 40–50 m at its deepest. The canyon is about 1 km long.
Yes, there is no entrance fee and parking is free.
Fifteen minutes is enough for the bridge and the falls. Most people spend 30 to 45 minutes and walk part of the rim.
The edges are steep and mostly unfenced, so it needs care. Stay back from the drop, keep hold of children and avoid the rim path in ice or strong wind.
No. The nearest toilets, fuel and food are in Hvammstangi and at service stops on the Ring Road.
