Herðubreiðarlindir

• Short walks: loops around Herðubreiðarvötn, along Lindaá, and an interpretive trail into the lava.
• To the base of Herðubreið: a marked footpath, about 2 hours total.
• Toward the Herðubreið ascent point: roughly 3 hours each way from Lindir (the climb itself is a serious undertaking, about 12 hours roundtrip from Lindir via the standard gully).
• Long trek: waymarked route via Flötudyngja to Bræðrafell (near Kollóttudyngja), 7–9 hours from Herðubreiðarlindir.

There’s a designated campground beside an overnight hut operated by the Touring Club of Akureyri, tended by wardens in season. Facilities are basic but include restrooms; expect everything to be spread out a bit across the site. Book the hut in peak summer, and don’t count on buying anything here—there are no shops, restaurants, or fuel nearby.

• Water and supplies: Despite the springs, the wider Ódáðahraun region is water-scarce—bring ample drinking water and all food.
• Weather and footing: Expect rapid weather shifts, cold nights, wind, loose scree, and early-season snow/ice higher up.
• Herðubreið ascent: Rockfall is a known hazard; avoid clustering under cliffs, start early, and discuss your plan with rangers.

Local lore holds that the outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur once wintered at Herðubreiðarlindir, adding a dash of highland legend to the landscape. Geologically, you’re standing where Iceland’s “fire and ice” forces shape the land—active volcanism and relentless erosion side by side.

Askja to the south and the Jökulsárgljúfur area (Dettifoss–Ásbyrgi) to the north make a natural multi-day circuit when the highlands are open.