I find hikes to be more satisfying if there’s a destination. Hike to a glacier, or a waterfall, or … another waterfall. The Reykjadalur hike is different, and unique. Hike to a hot river. Change into a bathing suit, and hop in!
Well, there’s a lot more to it than that. The hike took us an hour each way. So you’re looking at a 3 hour time commitment, assuming you want to have some time to relax in the water. And so you need to take bathing suits and towels, as well as water to drink and maybe some snacks. My backpack was stuffed full (and full of wet bathing suits and towels for the walk back!) Let’s dig in to the details.
The start of the hike is about 5 minutes north of the town of Hveragerði. The parking area is on Google Maps, though it’s labeled “Parkplatz Reykjadalur”. GPS coordinates are 64.022270, -21.211149.
Here’s a view of the parking area from a couple minutes into the hike:
There’s a cafe and bathrooms (well, port a potties.) Sadly, neither was open / working when we visited. I don’t mean they were closed for the day: This was the peak of the tourist season in late July, and both seemed to be under major construction.
I recommend visiting the Bonus grocery store in Hveragerði before you start the hike. You can stock up on snacks and water, and there’s a bathroom in the mall, by the Earthquake Museum. The bathroom asks for donations, but I feel okay not donating if I’m shopping in the Bonus?
The 3 km (each way!) hike starts heading uphill. And keeps going uphill. Only the last section is flatter, so the first 30-40 minutes of the hike are continuously uphill. Be mentally ready for a tough start! At least most of the return trip is downhill.
But it’s a beautiful hike through a landscape that alternated between lush and stark.
As you get closer to your hot river destination, you’ll start to see the geothermal activity pick up.
Close to the river there’s a bridge that is often covered in the geothermal gas. This stuff is filled with sulfur, and I feel like it’s not great to breathe it in? That may just be me, as everyone else just trudged along. But I think it’s worthwhile to wait a few seconds and see if the wind changes to give you some fresh air while you cross the bridge.
Finally you’ll reach the river. Facing the river, the further to the right you go the cooler the water will be, at least in a general sense. The water is flowing from left to right, and cooler water is being added in as the water flows. You and your kids might be more comfortable if you hike down a couple hundred feet to find cooler spots.
But before that, you likely need to change. Unless you planned ahead, and wore swimsuits under your clothes. The changing facilities aren’t really facilities at all; be ready to change out in the open! Well, almost. There are some wooden “plus signs” that can be used to block two directions:
There seem to be three changing options:
- Use one of those little changing corners. Perhaps people in your party can take turns holding a towel up to block the open sides?
- Do your best to wear a towel and do your changing under a towel. (This works for men, I think; wrap a towel around your waist and leave it there as you put your swimsuit on.)
- Do your best to change while lying on the ground with a towel on top of you. (This may work better for women.)
But, overall, no one paid attention or seemed to care. Just like most swimming changing areas in Iceland, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Be ready for a public changing area, do your best, and hop in the water!
It’s easiest to walk down-river once you’ve crossed the river. But the water was really hot in the beginning; pick a spot to cross, cross quickly, and then head to your right to find a place to sit. The depth of the water is usually under a meter (1 or 2 feet.) It’s deeper the closer you are to one of the rock “dams” that have been built up.
And that’s it. Relax in the water for a bit, change back, hope no one has to go to the bathroom, and start the hike back.
All of this is completely free. I really enjoyed the Reykjadalur hot river hike, and I think anyone over the age of 8 or so will too. (Younger kids will be fine, as long as they can handle the 6 km hike.) Just remember that this takes a good bit of time. Driving out here, stopping at the grocery store before, hiking, and swimming can quite easily take up half a day.
If you have the time, it’s a memorable experience.
Note that Reykjadalur closed for part of 2018 due to environmental strain. The paths were improved during that time, and there were no closures in 2019.
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