Sigöldugljúfur canyon waterfalls by mountain road F208

Waterfalls emerging from the canyon wall

The waterfalls at Sigöldugljúfur do not form a staircase in the Tungnaá. They emerge from the side of the canyon. Clear groundwater travels through permeable volcanic formations before reaching the exposed wall, where it escapes in springs and falls towards the old river channel.

There is no useful fixed number for the cascades. Some streams divide as they descend, others join, and their visibility changes with water flow, vegetation and viewpoint. Their character comes from repetition: narrow white falls appear one after another along the wall rather than gathering into one dominant waterfall.

Constant moisture supports moss and low vegetation around the springs. This creates a strong contrast between the waterfall side, where green growth follows the water, and drier parts of the canyon. The effect can appear almost designed, but it is the visible result of groundwater repeatedly finding routes through the volcanic layers.

The waterfalls are clear spring water, not milky glacial water coloured by rock flour. Their blue-green appearance depends on the clarity and depth of the water, the surfaces below it, surrounding vegetation, reflections and changing light. Colour varies between visits and can differ substantially from the intense turquoise often seen in processed photographs.

How the diversion revealed Sigöldugljúfur

Sigöldugljúfur belongs to the Tungnaá river system and cannot be understood separately from Sigölduvirkjun. During development of the power station in the 1970s, the river was dammed upstream and most of its flow redirected through an engineered route. Sigölduvirkjun entered operation in 1977.

Before the diversion, the sediment-rich Tungnaá flowed through this canyon. The wall springs were present, but the much higher river concealed or overwhelmed much of their lower course. Removing most of the river from its natural channel lowered the water level and exposed the canyon walls, springs and separate cascades.

The change therefore revealed the waterfalls rather than creating them. Their water continued to follow natural underground paths, while the river that had hidden them was directed elsewhere to produce electricity. The dam and reservoir can be seen from the canyon area, making the cause of the transformation visible rather than abstract.

This history also explains why the two sides of the canyon can appear so different. The repeated waterfalls, wet rock and vegetation mark the emergence of groundwater. Exposed rock and the diminished channel record the removal of most of the Tungnaá. Both belong to the same altered landscape.

A former river channel that can still carry water

The old channel is diminished, but it has not ceased to function. Water can still be released into it when operating conditions or reservoir levels require, including the release of overflow. The amount and character of water in the canyon can therefore change.

This is one reason visitors should not descend to the canyon floor. There is no prepared route below, access is steep and difficult, and the slopes contain loose material. The low water seen on a particular visit should not be interpreted as a permanent condition in a managed river system.

Large releases are not the normal visitor experience, and the page should not imply that the canyon floods without warning every day. The important point is simpler: the old Tungnaá channel remains part of an operating hydropower landscape. Viewing it safely from above provides the complete experience without entering the former riverbed.

Reaching the marked parking area

The destination coordinate identifies the marked parking area beside F208 rather than a point obtained from an aerial photograph over the canyon. The parking is a widened gravel space, not a staffed visitor facility, and there are no services at the site.

An ordinary car can reach the parking area in suitable summer conditions. Drivers should nevertheless expect washboards, loose gravel and sections that can become rough. Speed must be adapted to the road surface, and current road and weather conditions should always be checked before travelling into the Highlands.

The fact that an ordinary car may reach Sigöldugljúfur does not mean every continuation of F208 is suitable for it. Road conditions can deteriorate, seasonal closures apply, and other sections of the route may have different vehicle requirements.

An unofficial vehicle track continues closer to the canyon, but it should not be used as general visitor access. It is suited only to tour operators using appropriate high-clearance vehicles and local judgement. Independent visitors should park at the marked area and walk.

Walking to the canyon

Allow approximately 30 minutes each way between the parking area and Sigöldugljúfur. The approach is generally straightforward, crossing lava and gravel with little elevation change, but it is still an exposed highland walk rather than a developed urban path.

Wear footwear appropriate for rough ground and carry clothing for rapid weather changes. Wind, rain, poor visibility and cold conditions can alter an otherwise easy walk. There are no facilities, shelter or formal viewpoint at the canyon.

Markers or vehicle tracks encountered in the area should not be interpreted as proof of an official trail or permission to drive closer. Follow the established walking approach, avoid creating new tracks across fragile surfaces and return by the same route unless reliable local information indicates otherwise.

Viewing the canyon from its unfenced rim

The rim is open and unfenced. Loose gravel, eroded ground and edges that may be undercut make the immediate lip unsafe, particularly when attention is fixed on a camera or drone controls. The broad view of the waterfalls does not require standing at the edge.

Remain well back wherever the ground is uncertain. Give children close supervision and take additional care in strong wind, rain, frost or poor visibility. Do not descend into the canyon. The absence of barriers does not make the rim a developed viewpoint, and the visible reduced flow does not make the old river channel a walking route.

Drone photography may be possible, but pilots must follow current Icelandic aviation rules and check for temporary restrictions or land-management requirements before flying. A drone should be operated from a secure position away from the rim, without disturbing other visitors or wildlife.

 

Sigöldugljúfur and Sigöldufoss are different places

Sigöldugljúfur and Sigöldufoss are nearby destinations within the same altered river system, and their similar names frequently cause confusion.

Sigöldugljúfur is the former Tungnaá canyon where spring water emerges through the wall in numerous small cascades. Sigöldufoss lies approximately 1.5 kilometres to the east, farther downstream in the old main channel. It is a broad natural waterfall whose present flow was greatly reduced by the same river diversion.

The two sites complement one another. Sigöldugljúfur shows the wall springs and canyon revealed when the river level fell. Sigöldufoss shows the natural main-channel waterfall after most of its river was removed. Neither name is an alternative for the other, and each has its own access point.

• • Wall-fed waterfalls: The cascades emerge from springs in the canyon wall; they are not steps in the main river.
  • Clear spring water: The falls are fed by clear groundwater rather than sediment-rich glacial water.
  • Revealed by diversion: Hydroelectric development did not create the springs, but lowering the Tungnaá exposed them.
  • Operating channel: Overflow and other releases can still enter the former riverbed.
  • Visible infrastructure: The dam and reservoir are part of the view and explain the canyon’s present form.
  • No fixed waterfall count: The streams divide and join, and their appearance changes with flow and viewpoint.
  • Separate from Sigöldufoss: The canyon and the natural waterfall downstream are different destinations.