Morsárjökull via Morsárdalur in Vatnajökull National Park

Vatnajökull National Park

Morsárjökull via Morsárdalur

Complete M2 loop from Skaftafell to Morsárjökull’s glacier-lake viewpoint

Length
19.6km
Time
6.5hr
Elev. change
184m
Difficulty
Challenging
  • Loop
  • Dogs allowed
  • High point 271 m

Hear the audio tour

Welcome to the Skaftafell Visitor Center Area

Overview

About Morsárjökull via Morsárdalur

The official M2 loop from Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre reaches the Morsárjökull viewpoint in Morsárdalur and returns through the valley. It is about 12.2 miles total, and a 6.5-hour day is a realistic plan for the full route. The National Park lists the route at roughly 350 m of ascent and rates it challenging.

Follow the marked trail from the visitor centre toward Sjónarsker and into Morsárdalur. Continue between Grjóthóll and the glacial lake in front of Morsárjökull, then return to Grjóthóll and cross the footbridge over the Morsá. Follow the river to the second footbridge by Götugil, cross it, and take the marked trail back to Skaftafellsstofa. The stored line follows this complete loop from the visitor-centre start back to the same access.

Expect a long day over rough black sand, uneven valley paths, and braided-river terrain, with broad glacier and valley views. The glacier and its proglacial lake are the destination; Morsárfoss is generally a distant view from this route rather than a summit objective.

Use the signed footbridges and stay on the marked route. Keep well back from the glacier and lagoon edge, where calving ice and surge waves are hazardous. Carry warm, waterproof layers, food, and water, and be prepared for quickly changing weather and patchy cell coverage. Dogs must be kept on a leash in the park.

Why go

  • Chance to hear live glacier calving at the proglacial lake
  • Distant views of Iceland’s tallest waterfall without mountaineering
  • Quieter than the popular waterfall circuits around Skaftafell

Heads up

  • Long, sandy stretches that hike harder than the elevation suggests
  • Morsárfoss is typically only a distant glimpse from this route
  • Seasonal footbridge placement can change and force reroutes

Map & elevation

The route

Loading the Vatnajökull map
Full map
Elevation87–271 m
TrailheadSkaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre64.01661, -16.96658
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Park at Skaftafell Visitor Centre; the marked M2 route begins at Skaftafellsstofa Visitor Centre.

Safety

Use only the marked route and footbridges; stay well back from the glacier and proglacial lake because calving ice and surge waves are hazardous. Expect rough black sand, braided streams, quickly changing weather, and patchy cell coverage. Dogs must be kept on a leash in the park.

1 active Vatnajökull alert

  • ClosureFosshvammur permanently closed at DettifossFosshvammur at Dettifoss is permanently closed to all traffic; do not enter.Official details
Vatnajökull alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Vatnajökull Tour Guide

Your drive to Morsárjökull via Morsárdalur, narrated.

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.

Recorded for this trailhead

Welcome to the Skaftafell Visitor Center Area
Listen
“You're pulling into the Skaftafell area, which is the main basecamp for exploring the glaciers and waterfalls nearby. The large building is the visitor center, and it's the best place to start to get oriented.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Vatnajökull Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Hundafoss, The First Waterfall on the Svartifoss Trail
  • Rivers and Sandstorms of Skeiðarársandur
  • Skeiðarárbrú Bridge Monument
  • Freysnes: Gas, Food, and Tour Hub
  • 102 audio storiesacross Vatnajökull’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grey Seal, Harbor Seal, Caribou, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 16 trails, 72 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“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!!!!”
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Wildlife

Wildlife in Vatnajökull

All Vatnajökull wildlife maps

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Vatnajökull. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Morsárjökull via Morsárdalur

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Parkwolf’s Vatnajökull ranking

Top-rated trails in Vatnajökull

All 16 trails
  1. 1Dettifoss–Selfoss Trail (East)Moderate · 4 km
  2. 2Dettifoss–Selfoss Trail (West)Easy · 4.2 km
  3. 3Askja Víti Crater TrailEasy · 5.1 km
  4. 4Múlagljúfur CanyonModerate · 5.8 km
  5. 5Sjónarnípa Viewpoint Trail (S6)Moderate · 7.5 km
  6. 6Kristínartindar Trail (S4)Challenging · 17.9 km

Take Parkwolf to Vatnajökull.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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