Eyjan rock
A stone island mid-canyon.
Spike — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Javier Rodríguez from Palma de Mallorca, España — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gummao — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jerzy Strzelecki — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jerzy Strzelecki — CC BY-SA 4.0 · G.Mannaerts — CC BY-SA 4.0
Ásbyrgi is a deep horseshoe-shaped canyon in north Iceland, within Vatnajökull National Park. It runs about 3.5 km long and more than 1 km wide, with cliffs up to 100 metres high around it and a forest and small lake on its floor, a rare sight in a country with few trees. It was probably formed by catastrophic glacial floods of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and again about 3,000 years ago, before the river changed course. Legend says instead that it is the hoofprint of Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. Foreign tree species were planted here between 1947 and 1977, alongside the birch and willow. In the middle stands the rock Eyjan, the Island, 25 metres high, dividing the canyon for more than half its length, with a wide view from above. At the inner end is calm Botnstjörn, a lake with waterfowl, reached by a path through the trees. In autumn the birch turns yellow and the canyon gains colour. The site has a visitor centre. The canyon is 37.8 km in a straight line east of Húsavík, on the Diamond Circle road. Short paths reach the lake and longer ones climb Eyjan, so choose by your time. Keep to the paths and stay away from cliff edges. Bring a jacket, as it can be cold even in summer, and check visitor centre hours.
A stone island mid-canyon.
Calm water and waterfowl.
Birch and willow on the floor.
Vatnajökull National Park, Diamond Circle road
It says this is the hoofprint of Sleipnir, Odin's horse, a folk tale.
The lake path is short and easy, and Eyjan is a little longer.