Selfoss

North Iceland

Wide, shallow, and horseshoe-shaped, Selfoss sits about one kilometer upstream from Dettifoss on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river in northeast Iceland. At 11 meters tall it lacks the raw vertical drama of its neighbor, but it compensates with breadth — the water spreads across roughly 100 meters of dark basalt ledges, splitting into dozens of smaller cascades. The effect is more intricate than Dettifoss, and many visitors find it the more photogenic of the two. Both falls share the same parking areas. From the west bank, take the paved Route 862 (open year-round); the gravel Route 864 on the east bank is seasonal. A marked trail runs north along the canyon rim from the Dettifoss viewpoint to Selfoss — about a 15-minute walk. The path can be wet and rocky. Because Dettifoss draws most of the crowds, Selfoss often feels noticeably quieter even in peak season. Flow peaks in summer with glacial melt but the falls run year-round. Bring waterproofs when water is high. The entire area sits within Vatnajökull National Park.

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