If you intend to drive the popular Highland road Nyrðri Fjallabak, the Hólaskjól campsite is a good place to start or end, depending on your direction. It is located among some beautiful surroundings close to Eldgjá, the famous canyon, and Ófærufoss waterfall. The campsite and all the facilities are excellent but remember and consider that this is a mountain hut; it is a campsite with less conveniences than you would find in campsites in towns and villages around Iceland, giving it a different kind of charm. When you are in Hólaskjól, you are in the mountains.
Start your Nyrðri Fjallabak drive at Hólaskjól
We recommend driving from the east to the west when driving the Nyrðir Fjallabak mountain road. One of the reasons is that Hólaskjól is an excellent place to start your drive early in the morning. Another reason is the surrounding area. When you have settled in, there is a wonderful short hiking trail at Hólaskjól up by the river Syðri Ófæra. It is a good evening walk, and you will see small layers of interesting basalt columns, small ravines, a beautiful river, and a magnificent waterfall Silfurfoss. A short hike into the lava field that takes less than an hour is quite relaxing before you have a good night's sleep in the mountains.
How to get to Hólaskjól
If you plan to visit Hólaskjól, you are probably planning to drive to Nyrðri Fjallabak. The best way to access the road to Hólaskjól is from the Ring Road, some 23 kilometers west of the village Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Here you take a turn north onto Road no. 208 and drive approximately 16 kilometers until you take a left turn and enter the mountain road F208 Fjallabak Nyrðri. You need to go about 20 kilometers on this road to reach the Hólaskjól camping site.