Vatnajökull National Park has acquired a new Polaris Ranger EV for use at the Skaftafell campsite. The vehicle is a lightweight electric 4x4, which will replace a diesel-fuelled pickup that has been in use for some years.

Gljúfrastofa and Snæfellsstofa opened yesterday, May 1, and will be open daily all summer.

Last weekend park employees went along with a group of scientist to lake Askja. The mission of the expedition was to research the unusual lack of ice on the lake at this time of year.

A group of students from Eckerd College in Florida, USA, arrived in Vatnajökull National Park a couple of weeks ago. The purpose of their visit was to spend a week in a protected area doing volunteer work.

Vatnajökull National Park has published a brand new travel map for the national park. The map is in the scale of 1:600.000 and gives information about various activities and features within the park, such as visitor centres, highland ranger stations, campgrounds and hiking areas. The map also indicates special preservation areas and roads which are open to public traffic.

Due to exstensive filming 21-22 July, access to Dettifoss is controlled. People are led to a very good wiewpoint, slightly further north than usual. People are kindly asked to take no photos but to accept them from  the production company on a CD.

The glacial outburst flood in Múlakvísl has interrupted many travel plans, but services in Vatnajökull National Park have not been affected. There is one minor exception to this: The daily interpretive walk with a ranger has to be cancelled on Wednesdays, and will be so until a new bridge has been built over Múlakvísl.

Skaftafell Visitor Centre re-opened this morning, having been closed for 4 days due to an eruption in Grímsvötn volcano. Ash fell in Skaftafell for 12 hours after the eruption begun and the road to and from Skaftafell was closed for safety reasons. However, strong winds from north and showers of rain have cleansed away most of the ash and Skaftafell is again characterised by lush green vegetation.

A volcanic eruption started in Vatnajökull glacier on Saturday, 21 March. For information about the eruption and its development check The Official Gateway to Iceland: Volcano Report.