Sight · Vatnajökull National Park
Red crater hills with big river views on a short, scenic loop
Overview
Perched above the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river in the Jökulsárgljúfur area, Rauðhólar Viewpoint puts you face to face with the park’s “red hills” — vivid scoria cones from a 6 km-long crater row that erupted 8–9 thousand years ago. It’s a compact outing with outsized scenery: red slopes, black basalt, and the river cutting through the Hljóðaklettar landscape.
Map
Local know-how
Start at the Vesturdalur (Hljóðaklettar) car park and follow the signed V4 loop.
Wear grippy shoes; a few short, steep sections can be slick after rain.
Many hikers prefer going counter‑clockwise for early river and rock views.
Combine with the V2 or V3 routes for extra basalt formations and the echo rocks.
Bring water and snacks; check current road and trail status at Ásbyrgi.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Vatnajökull Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Vatnajökull National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Follow the park’s signed V4 Rauðhólahringur loop (about 5 km, typically 1.5–2 hours). The path serves up big river panoramas, sweeping looks toward Hljóðaklettar’s echoing cliffs, and close-up geology — from columnar basalt to honeycomb textures in nearby formations. Expect a few short, steep, and occasionally slippery bits (especially near the river or after rain), but most hikers find it a manageable half-day stop.
These red cones are classic scoria hills, part of a crater row that threads the canyon rim. Across the river, Hljóðaklettar’s unusual acoustics and sculpted columns have inspired local tales and nicknames for rock features — it’s a natural amphitheater of forms. Stay on marked paths; off‑trail walking is prohibited to protect fragile ground.
From the same area, the easy V2 spur to Tröllið highlights Hljóðaklettar’s acoustics and columns, while the V3 circle (more challenging) adds caves and more intricate basalt.
Wildlife
22 sightingsGrey SealMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
258 sightingsHarbor SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
184 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
62 sightingsArctic FoxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
168 sightingsWhooper SwanMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
68 sightingsAtlantic PuffinMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Vatnajökull. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Sight · 1.7 km awayHljóðaklettarBasalt echo rocks with rosette columns and cave acoustics
Sight · 1.7 km awayKirkjan (Hljóðaklettar)Domed basalt church with eerie echoes on Hljodaklettar loops
Sight · 2.2 km awayVesturdalur ViewpointBasalt labyrinth and river views from an easy canyon hub
Campground · 2.6 km awayVesturdalur CampsiteSimple tent-only base beside Hljóðaklettar’s wild basalt playgroundParkwolf’s Vatnajökull ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
