Park rangers have decided to temporarily close most hiking trails on the Skaftafellsheiði heath in Skaftafell, because the whole area is very wet after the snowmelt in recent weeks.  The paths to Svartifoss and Skaftafellsjökull are open.

Skaftafell is a popular destination for winter visitors in Iceland. Visiting in winter is much different from the summer with lesser crowds and no leaves on the trees. The biggest change though is probably the outlet glaciers.

A large trail construction project started earlier this week at Skaftafell, and as a result the main trail to Svartifoss is partially closed. However, alternative routes are possible through Lambhagi and Gömlutún.

At the beginning of August, five members of the Iceland Conservation Volunteers team (ICV) helped the rangers in Snæfell Wilderness Area with waymarking hiking trails and tracks, placing information signs at the beginning of hiking trails and fixing some unwelcomed off-road tracks.

The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police is monitoring closely events in Bárðarbunga volcano, where unusually frequent seismic activity has been recorded in recent days. Updates on the situation are available on the Commissioner´s website:

The District Commissioner of Police at Húsavík and Vatnajökull National Park in cooperation with The National Commissioner of Police have lifted restrictions on travel in Askja.