Jokulsargljufur National Park is a public park and was built in 1973 to protect its living things and history, as well as the canyon, which was formed by the glacial river of Jokulsa a Fjollum. This national park sits just on the west bank of Jokulsa a Fjollum and covers a large scale of area.
In 1978, Asbyrgi was incorporated as one part of the Jokulsargljufur National Park, and now it becomes one of the natural wonders of Iceland. Asbyrgi was formed due to two catastrophic floods from the glacier river of Vatnajokull in the southern Europe. In Asbyrgi, there is a popular entertainment destination between the canyon walls, and many traditional local festivals are celebrated here. In the middle of the canyon is a precipitous rock, which is named “ The Island”. And in this canyon, there are various kinds of trees, such as willow, birch, fur and larch.
The water from the Jokulsa a Fjollum River forms several large waterfalls and tumble into the Jokulsargljufur canyon, which is one of Iceland’s largest and most significant river canyons. And Jokulsargljufur National Park also gains its name from the canyon. This national park sits in the northern Iceland, an area with frequent volcanic activities.
In this national park, you can find various kinds of plants, which usually grow on the cliffs or rocks. In addition, this national park is also a paradise for birds.
The Dettifoss waterfall pours down from the highest part of the canyon and forms a splendid sight.
The landscape of Asbyrgi shapes like a horse leg, and according to some Viking mythology, it is formed by a leg of Wooden’s horse, which the chief pagan god puts down when he travels around the world. And along the canyon a road is constructed, which provides tourists with a good way to enjoy the scenery of the canyon.
This national park is open all over the year, however, in winter and during the period between May and June, the roads in this park are hardly impassable. So you’d better contact the manager of the national park if you want to visit it in these special seasons.
