Krepputunga
About Krepputunga, Kverkfjöll and Hvannalindir
- Come visit
About Krepputunga, Kverkfjöll and Hvannalindir
- Come visit
Krepputunga is situated between the raging glacial rivers of Kreppa and Jökulsá á Fjöllum, with Vatnajökull to the south. Hvannalindir is a unique highland oasis in the otherwise sparsely vegetated Krepputunga, where spring water originates from beneath the Lindahraun lava field. The springs are sheltered by Kreppuhryggur to the east and Lindafjöll and the Krepputunguhraun lava field to the west. The Kverkfjöll mountains are at the southernmost end of Krepputunga and watch over the region.
Access, services and interpretation
Rangers are in Hvannalindir and Kverkfjöll during the summer and offer visitors information and interpretation about the area and the national park. There is also a ranger station in Snæfell over the summer months.
Landvörslustöð í Hvannalindum
GPS coordinates: N64° 53.349' - W016° 18.426'
Rangers phone number: 842 4368
Landvörslustöð í Kverkfjöllum
GPS coordinates: N64° 44.850' - W016° 37.890'
Rangers phone number: 842 4369
Landvörslustöð í Snæfelli
GPS coordinates: N64° 48.250' - W015° 38.600'
Rangers phone number: 842 4367
Vatnajökull National Park's interpretation program is valid during the summer, offering a variety of hikes throughout the national park. You can find out about the summer's educational walks in the southern area of the national park by clicking on the link.
Accommodation
The Touring Club of Fljótsdalshérað and the Touring Club of Húsavík operate the Sigurðarskáli cabin in the Kverkfjöll mountains. A campsite is located by the cabin. There is also a flush toilet and showers. The Sigurðarskáli cabin can accommodate 75 people and includes cooking facilities, a campsite and toilet facilities with a shower. There are no shops, restaurants or gas stations in the Kverkfjöll Mountains.
Nature & history
- Learn & discover
Nature & history
- Learn & discover
There are few places in Iceland where the country's geohistory and constant formation is as tangible as in the highland north of Vatnajökull. The region is very geologically diverse and the variety of volcanoes is unlike any other in the world. Wherever you look you can see volcanoes, craters, tuff ridges and table mountains, lava domes, scorched lava fields, sands and pumice flats. Park visitors have the unique opportunity to see the diverse land formations up close and enjoy a living geology lesson.
Fire and ice
One of the country's most powerful geothermal areas is located in the Kverkfjöll Mountains, surrounded by 1600 to 1700 metre tall glaciers. There you can observe the constant battle between fire and ice in the glaciers, experience the unique contrasts of the geothermal area in Hveradalur and see how the geothermal hot water in the river Volga shapes the ice caves on the edge of the glacier. The forces below, however, are even greater, as meltwater collects in small lagoons that can empty suddenly, creating a hazard. Slightly to the west of the glacier is one of Iceland's largest and most active volcanoes, Bárðarbunga. An eruption of Bárðarbunga is capable of causing massive glacial outburst floods in Jökulsá á Fjöllum and other large rivers that flow from the glacier.
Hvannalindir
The Hvannalindir area is an oasis of vegetation at an altitude of 640 metres, situated north of the Lindahraun lava field, sheltered by the Lindafjöll mountains and the Krepputunguhraun lava field to the west and the Kreppuhryggur ridge to the east. The Lindaá river flows from the south along the edge of the lava field at Kreppuhryggur ridge. Lindaá it is joined at Hvannalindir by Lindakvísl from the southwest, where it flows between luxuriant banks past a lone scoria cone, Lindakeilir. The name Hvannalindir is derived from the plant angelica (“hvönn” in Icelandic), which thrives in the area undisturbed by the grazing of livestock. As an oasis of vegetation and an ecosystem, Hvannalindir is unique in Iceland, mostly undisturbed by the grazing of livestock since the country was first settled, and surrounded by desert in all directions. Oases with unique vegetation and wildlife can be found by the highland springs. Fountainheads and underground fissures are home to Ice Age amphipods and the microscopic organisms they feed on, and unique variants of dwarf char have evolved in the isolated spring systems of Jökulsá.
Snæfellsstofa
Snæfellsstofa is located at Skriðuklaustri in Fljótsdalur. The visitor centre is connected to Snæfellsöræfi and there you can get information, interpretation and shop for souvenirs. The exhibition ''The World's Wheel'' is in Snæfellsstofa and it deals with the cycle and shaping of nature with an emphasis on flora and fauna, reindeer and other wildlife. The design of the exhibition emphasizes that children can touch, smell and test various exhibition items.
