Snæfell is an ice-capped stratovolcano in East Iceland, 1,833 m high and the tallest subaerial stratovolcano in the country. It stands in the north-east part of Vatnajökull National Park, north of the Vatnajökull glacier and immediately east of the Hálslón Reservoir. Its own ice cap feeds a ring of named glaciers. Access in summer is by the F909 mountain road to a car park at the Snæfellsskáli ranger hut. The top gives wide views, but it is a mountaineering objective rather than a hike.
Snæfell
Snæfell rests for over 100,000 years between eruptions, which is why Iceland's tallest subaerial stratovolcano counts as dormant rather than extinct.
- Entrance
- Free
- Accessibility
- Not accessible — remote highland peak, F-road access
- Parking
- Car park at the Snæfellsskáli ranger hut, reached by the F909 mountain road when the park opens it in summer.
- Difficulty
- Summit climb onto an ice cap, with a snow field on the final section. Mountaineering equipment and skills required.
- Transport
- Self-drive — F909 highland road from Egilsstaðir (4x4 only)
What makes it special
Snæfell rises to 1,833 m and is the tallest subaerial stratovolcano in Iceland. It stands apart from Vatnajökull, north of the glacier and immediately east of the Hálslón Reservoir of the Kárahnjúkar hydroelectric scheme, so it reads as a single mountain above the highland rather than a rise on an ice cap. Its own ice cap drains into named glaciers: Sveinsjökull, Dimmagilsjökull, Axlarjökull, Ljósurðarjökull and Grjótárjökull. Sótajökull, on the east side, has mostly melted. Most of the mountain was built under ice.
The top gives a wide view, but it is reached only with mountaineering equipment and the skills to use it, and the last stretch crosses a snow field. From the ground the mountain is easy to pick out in sun, and it is worth looking at from a distance.
Good to know
- Summit: The top requires mountaineering equipment and skills. The final stretch crosses a snow field, and the view depends on clear weather.
- F909: The mountain road to the car park is a summer route, open when the national park opens it.
- Hut: Snæfellsskáli is sleeping-bag accommodation — bunk beds and a sleeping attic with floor space. Bring your own bag.
- Rangers: Two rangers staff the hut in summer, and there is a campsite beside it. Eating or cooking indoors carries a facility fee.
- Dormant, not extinct: Snæfell has not erupted in the Holocene, but repose times run over 100,000 years.
Getting there
Most approaches start at Skriðuklaustur, the Vatnajökull National Park service centre. From there the F909 mountain road runs towards the northern Brúarjökull and Eyjabakkajökull side of Vatnajökull and ends at a car park by the Snæfellsskáli ranger hut. The F909 is a summer road, open when the park opens it. The hut is where driving stops: everything above it is climbed on foot, with mountaineering equipment. By road, Snæfell lies 80 km south-west of Egilsstaðir.
Best time to visit
Better: summer and a clear day, when the park opens the F909 and rangers are at the hut.
Avoid: low cloud, and the summit altogether without mountaineering equipment.
The reward at the top is the view, and it depends entirely on visibility. The mountain is ice-capped, so the last stretch crosses a snow field whatever the month.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
Similar Places
Snæfell on the map
The summit is not a walk-up. The upper mountain is ice-capped and the final section crosses a snow field; the climb requires mountaineering equipment and the skills to use it.
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Frequently asked questions
How high is Snæfell?
1,833 m (6,014 ft). It is the tallest subaerial stratovolcano in Iceland and stands in the north-east part of Vatnajökull National Park.Can anyone climb to the top?
No. The summit requires mountaineering equipment and skills, and the last part of the ascent crosses a snow field. On a clear day the view from the top is wide.Is Snæfell an active volcano?
It has not erupted during the Holocene, but its magma has residence times of 100,000 to 200,000 years between eruptions, so it is treated as dormant rather than extinct.How do you reach the mountain?
Usually via Skriðuklaustur, the Vatnajökull National Park service centre, then the F909 mountain road to the car park at the Snæfellsskáli ranger hut. The F909 is open in summer.Is there anywhere to stay at the foot of the mountain?
Snæfellsskáli is a mountain hut with sleeping-bag accommodation, in bunk beds and in a sleeping attic, and there is a campsite beside it. Two rangers staff the hut in summer.