Hidden Falls
Hidden Falls is a waterfall in South Coast, Iceland — about 156 km from Reykjavik and reached by a hike from the nearest pull-off (bring weather-appropriate footwear). Shoot it year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list, then use the GPS coordinates, parking notes, and nearby waypoints below to fold this stop into a longer photography route.
Overview
A waterfall on the Gönguleið um Fimmvörðuháls trail
As a photography stop, Hidden Falls is a waterfall in South Coast, roughly 156 km from Reykjavik, reached by a hike from the nearest pull-off (bring weather-appropriate footwear). Plan the shoot year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list. The downloadable Waterfall map pins exact GPS coordinates, parking, and nearby waypoints so you can fold it into a wider route instead of hunting for the pull-off on arrival.
Planning more than one stop? Open all 43 waterfall locations to put Hidden Falls on the same offline layer as everything nearby.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A cascade on the Skógá about 3.3 km upriver from Skógafoss, the furthest of the three this catalog lists on that stretch. The name is this catalog’s label, not an Icelandic place name.
- Where
- About 3.3 km up the Skógá from Skógafoss, 1.4 km beyond the other two catalogued falls
- The name
- A descriptive label used by this catalog. It will not appear on a map or a signpost
- The climb
- The Skógar to Baldvinsskáli section is 12 km with 1000 m of ascent and takes 4–5 hours; this fall is in its lower part
- Huts
- Baldvinsskáli sleeps 16 and Langidalur 73; Fimmvörðuhálsskáli is run separately by Útivist
- Beyond
- Magni and Móði, the craters from the 2010 eruption, are described as worth a short detour for views over the volcanic ground
- Warning
- Weather near the 1,000 m pass can change in an instant; a cairn from 1970 commemorates hikers who died of exposure
At 3.3 km this is the point where a walk from the car park starts to be a hike, and where turning back is still easy. Going further commits you to the 1000 m ascent and the weather that comes with it — the memorial cairn on this route is not decorative.
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (63.561, -19.493). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 03:01–23:36 (20.6 h). Evening golden hour 21:49–23:36, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.5 h of daylight (10:57–15:29), but the sun never climbs above 3.2° — the entire day is golden hour. Sunrise bears SSE, sunset SSW.
- Aurora
- Aurora-grade darkness Sep–Mar, peaking at 12.8 h a night in December. Not possible Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug — the sky never gets dark enough.
Bar height is daylight hours. Months marked • have enough astronomical darkness for aurora; the rest do not.
Questions & answers
Hidden Falls is a waterfall in South Coast, Iceland, approximately 156 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Waterfall map.
The recommended season for Hidden Falls is All. For light, plan around blue hour and the first hour after sunrise; Iceland's long shoulder-season twilight extends usable conditions on either side.
Hike access. Bring weather-appropriate footwear and check conditions before setting out. The downloadable GPS map puts the waypoint on your phone; your own app routes you to it from wherever you are.
Yes — Hidden Falls can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.