Húsafell Hiking Trails: Easy Forest & Lava Walks Near the Trucks

If you want a walk rather than an expedition, the Húsafell hiking trails are the easiest network to reach from the Hvítá river. Húsafell sits at the inland end of Borgarfjörður, about a 35-minute drive up Route 518 from Hvítárbakki, and the recreational area around it is laced with short, well-marked paths through birch woods, over old lava and along glacial rivers. This is a scoped guide to that trail network, not a region-wide list.

What the trail network is like

Húsafell is one of Iceland’s older cultivated woodland areas. Sheltered from the wind, the birch in Húsafellsskógur grows unusually tall for Iceland, reaching roughly four metres in places, so the walking here feels genuinely wooded rather than open moor. The marked routes were developed from old sheep and horse paths and follow the natural contours, which keeps most of them gentle underfoot.

New signage has been placed throughout the recreational area, and a free printable trail map in English is available at the Hotel Húsafell reception and visitor centre, or as a digital download before you set off. Grab one first, because not every path is staked the whole way.

Named routes, from family loops to half-days

The core routes are Bæjargil, Oddaleið, Kaldárbotnar, Háifoss and Hraunfossar. They range from short, easy loops that suit families and casual walkers to longer half-day outings for anyone wanting more distance.

• Oddaleið is well cleared, marked and one of the busiest routes, crossing small rivers with a lava substrate underfoot in places.
• Kaldárbotnar runs near the river Geitá with open views toward the Langjökull glacier and the peak Strútur.
• Bæjargil follows a ravine close to the settlement, a good short leg-stretch.
• Hraunfossar links the woodland toward the well-known lava-spring waterfalls.

Because the routes interconnect, you can stitch a longer walk together or keep it to a 45-minute loop with children. Note that the Kaldárbotnar, Hraunfossar and Háifoss routes are not staked the whole way, so carry the map on those.

Practical details

• Getting there: about a 35-minute drive from Hvítárbakki up Routes 50 and 518, past Reykholt.
• Duration: roughly 45 minutes for the shortest family loops; allow a half day for the longer linked routes.
• What to bring: waterproof boots (paths can be wet and rooty), a windproof layer, water, and the printable Húsafell trail map.
• When to go: late June to September for the driest, greenest woodland; paths can be muddy or icy outside summer.
• Combine it: the Víðgelmir lava cave, the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, and the Húsafell Canyon Baths are all close by for a full day.

Where to Stay

Base yourself at Hvítá Trucks, the converted expedition trucks on the bank of the Hvítá at Hvítárbakki. It puts you within about a 35-minute drive of the Húsafell trailheads, so you can be walking in the birch woods soon after breakfast and back at the river by evening, glamping-style, without a long transfer. Book direct on Ourhotels.is for the best rate.

Photo: Christoph Strässler via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.