Basalt columns
Around the fall.
Hansueli Krapf — CC BY-SA 4.0 · FredN — CC BY-SA 4.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · Hansueli Krapf — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hansueli Krapf — CC BY-SA 4.0
Aldeyjarfoss is a waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river at the northern end of the Sprengisandur highland road, in the Bárðardalur valley of North Iceland, about 51 km in a straight line south-east of Akureyri. The river drops about 20 m into a swirling pool, but what sets the fall apart are the black hexagonal basalt columns framing it on both sides, as if carved. They formed when the lava of the Bárðardalshraun field cooled about 9,000 years ago and cracked into regular shapes. The white water against the dark basalt makes it one of the finest waterfall views in Iceland. Visitors park nearby and walk about ten minutes on a path to a viewpoint above the fall, and can climb down a little to see the columns up close. The smaller Hrafnabjargafoss lies a short distance upstream. The waterfall is free to visit. The last stretch of road is rough gravel and is usually closed in winter, so the best time to visit is June to September, ideally with a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Around the fall.
Above the fall.
Nearby fall.
Bárðardalur valley, North Iceland
Usually not; it is a rough gravel road.
Yes.