Stuðlagil is a basalt-column canyon with a blue glacial river.
There are two different access points to see Stuðlagil Canyon:
West Entrance: The best choice if you want a quick view with a viewing platform. There are also restrooms here.
East Entrance: There are two parking lots here, but requires about a 3.5 mile round-trip hike to access the canyon. We highly recommend seeing the canyon this way, the hike is very easy! You are even able to climb down to the actual river from here if you want, but just be careful since the basalt columns can get very slippery. There are also restrooms here and a food truck from June to September with local Icelandic food :)
It is not necessary to have a high-clearance 4x4 to get here, but there are some gravel sections to get here so please make sure you have gravel insurance on your rental car!
You may also notice some people swimming in the river, and if you decide to do so please keep in mind the current is a lot stronger than it looks and the water is freezing!
Something else to note is that the water here is not always blue... it is most of the time, but if it has been raining the water may be more of a grayish color. An easy way to tell is before you cross the bridge check the water color, or you can always check AllTrails reviews! Don't let this discourage you from going though, it rained 3 days straight before we got there and the water was as blue as in the pictures!
$ There is a fee to park here
