Leirhnjukur Volcanic Field

Sulphur pits bubble a few metres from the path, and steam rises from vents across the field. Many of the rocks are warm to the touch. A circular trail runs through the site, past a small lake and over the remains of an old lava flow that spans hundreds of metres. The walk crosses several different landscapes, and in places it feels like walking inside a volcano. Side paths branch off the main loop, so it is easy to spend far longer here than the circuit alone takes. The hill above the field reaches 592 metres, and the summit gives a panorama over the lava and the geothermal ground.

• No facilities. There are no toilets and no café anywhere on the site.
• Footwear. Proper hiking shoes are needed: the route crosses lava and bare geothermal ground.
• Hot ground. Pools bubble beside the trail and many rocks are warm to the touch. Keep to the paths.
• The walking starts early. The thermal ground is a good walk from the car park, not at it.
• Sulphur. The smell of sulphur hangs over the whole field.

The site is reached by car, and the car park is shared with the rest of the Krafla area. From there it is a walk of some distance to the thermal ground: the sulphur pits and vents do not begin at the parking place. A circular trail then loops through the field and back to the start, with side paths branching off it along the way. The whole route is on foot, over lava and open geothermal ground.