Kverkfjöll

Expect austere beauty: big skies, ash and lava underfoot, and the blue-white wall of ice beside active geothermal areas. The shapes of subglacial channels and melt features shift year to year, so the scenery never repeats. Wildlife is sparse, but in the broader eastern Highlands you might luck into reindeer; ptarmigan or even an Arctic fox are occasional bonuses.

The area is anchored by the Sigurðarskáli hut, with marked trails radiating out. A signed path links the hut to a car park by Kverkjökull’s snout (about 3 km), and routes toward Virkisfell and Biskupsfell also start around the hut. The glacier terminus is unstable in summer—ice blocks can calve without warning—so keep a conservative buffer and stay off the ice unless you’re with a licensed guide.

• Ice caves and subglacial areas here are extremely unstable—never enter without a licensed guide.
• Weather flips fast in the Highlands; rivers can swell by afternoon. Build time for retreat options.
• There’s no guaranteed signal. Carry proper layers, maps/GPX, and emergency gear if you go beyond the hut area.

For current road and trail conditions, touch base with park rangers at regional visitor centers before heading in; Snæfellsstofa (East) and the Mývatn-area center commonly advise on routes that feed toward Kverkfjöll.