Access to Selfoss and Dettifoss in winter season

According to the Road Condition site of the Icelandic government, roads 862 and 864 that are the closest to Selfoss and Dettifoss are "impassable" right now. This condition has been maintained for weeks, and I'm afraid that when we arrive there (in 3 weeks) the road will still have the "impassable" mark.

As we will drive a non-4×4 vehicle, is there any alternative way (by foot or public transport) to get to these sights in April?

Best Answer

You will not be able to get there on foot. It is more than an hour's drive from the Ring Road on 862/864.

I'm sure there are 4×4 tours you could hire, but I am not aware of a public route there.

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Can you get to Dettifoss in the winter?

You can reach the waterfall during the winter, but you'll need a vehicle with 4-wheel drive. Road 862 will bring you along the west side of the J\xf6kuls\xe1 River \u2014 be warned: it is gravel and the weather can do a number on it.

How do you get to Dettifoss and Selfoss?

There are three different routes:

Route 862 from \xc1sbyrgi: to reach Dettifoss from the north of Iceland, it's a 45 minute drive on Route 862. ...

Route 862 from Reykjahlid: if you're staying in Reykjahlid, drive along the Ring Road to Route 862, which you'll take for another 25 minutes until reaching Dettifoss car park.

Is the road to Dettifoss open?

The road does not open until late May or early June. There is a new, paved road which is passable for all vehicles from Dettifoss, South to Road 1, from the West side river bank but this road is out of service from January until the beginning of April.

Is Dettifoss closed?

Road 864 is closed during wintertime due to snow or wet conditions (muddy road) and does not open until early summer (end of May). Road 862 is on the west side of the waterfall. This road is paved but is not in winter service from January until the beginning of April. Dettifoss Waterfall is part of the Diamond Circle.

Visiting Dettifoss Selfoss in Winter

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