Lómagnúpur is a mountain in South Iceland, at the eastern end of the Fljótshverfi district, where the land runs out into the outwash plain of Skeiðarársandur. It is a subglacial mound: a north–south ridge of palagonite reaching 764 m, with front cliffs that fall almost vertically for 671 m, the highest cliffs in Iceland. Route 1 runs along its southern foot, and the stop there is used for the view across the black sand towards Vatnajökull. The mountain is also the one Flosi dreams of in Njáls saga.
Lomagnupur Scenic Spot
Local name: Lómagnúpur
In Njáls saga, Flosi dreams of a giant striding out of Lómagnúpur to announce the death of his men.
- Entrance
- Free
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible parking; the view is from the parking area.
- Parking
- Free. A parking area plus free roadside space, both beside Route 1.
- Difficulty
- Easy — roadside viewpoint, no hike
- Transport
- Self-drive — Ring Road (Route 1), Vík–Skaftafell
- Hours
- Open 24 hours.
- Address
- Þjóðvegur (Route 1), 881
What makes it special
The mountain is layered, and the layers are the story. Most of the mass is palagonite, with bands of pillow lava, lava columns and sediment between. The lowest layers are about 2.5 million years old, the highest about 1.5 million. After the last ice age, 10,000 years ago, the sea came right up to the foot of the ridge and left its marks on the rock.
Two or three landslides have come off Lómagnúpur. The clearest one is on the west side, directly beside Route 1, and it fell during the earthquake of 1789. Thin waterfalls run down the sides of the mountain around the stop.
Good to know
- The glacier: the white line on the eastern horizon is Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Iceland, covering about 8% of the country.
- The river: the braided water east of the mountain is Núpsvötn; Route 1 crosses it on the bridge that closed the ring road in 1974.
- Waterfalls: thin falls run down the sides of the mountain around the viewpoint.
- Short stop: this is a roadside viewpoint. People pull in for the view and drive on.
Getting there
Lómagnúpur stands directly north of Route 1, the Ring Road, which runs along its southern foot. Nothing has to be walked. Drivers pull off at the viewing area and look up at the cliff face from where they park. There is a parking area with roadside space beside it, so signal early and get fully clear of the carriageway before you stop.
Best time to visit
Better: sunrise, and overcast days.
Avoid: after dark.
The stop faces north at the cliff wall, so early light comes across it from the side. Overcast weather does not spoil the view here: the ridge and the sand look starkest under cloud, and the scale of the wall reads better without glare. There is no lighting at the stop, so a visit at night gives you nothing at all.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
Similar Places
Lomagnupur Scenic Spot on the map
The wind at this stop is fierce. Hold on to the car door as you open it — a gust can pull it out of your hand and wreck the hinges.
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Frequently asked questions
How long should you allow for Lómagnúpur?
It works as a pit stop on the Ring Road. You park, take in the view and the cliff face, photograph it and drive on.What can you see from the stop?
The near-vertical front cliffs of the mountain, thin waterfalls on its sides, the black outwash plain of Skeiðarársandur to the east, and beyond it the edge of Vatnajökull.Why does the mountain appear in Njáls saga?
After Flosi and his men had killed Njáll, Flosi dreamt of a giant coming out of Lómagnúpur and announcing the death of his people. The scene is also taken up in a poem on the mountain by Jón Helgason.Is the viewpoint reachable for wheelchair users?
There is wheelchair-accessible parking, and the view is from the parking area itself, with no walk in.