The walking path leading to Brúarfoss waterfall has been closed by one of the landowners. The landowners argue that too many people visit the waterfall, damaging vegetation and leaving trash along the way. Travelers have also become a nuisance to owners of vacation homes near the waterfall.
Brúarfoss is a hidden waterfall on the Golden Circle, located 3 km from the road between Laugarvatn village and Geysir geothermal area. A few years ago the waterfall was visited by a handful of people each day, but according to the landowners the waterfall now sees a few hundred visitors each day. The traffic has overwhelmed the walking path leading to the waterfall. The path, which is a small dirt path, is unable to handle the traffic. In rainy or wet weather the path becomes extremely muddy and difficult to walk, forcing travelers to find ways around the worst dirt, trampling down the vegetation along the path.
Visitors have also left trash in the forest, even human waste and toilet paper. The landowners also told the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that the growing visitor numbers have become a serious nuisance to locals who stay at the many vacation homes in the forest along the river. Trespassing by visitors in the vacation home areas has become a serious problem in recent years.
Read more: Walking paths at a once hidden waterfall on Golden Circle can't handle traffic after its discovery
The only access to the path is currently from private land and the vacation home areas of Brekkuskógur and Reykjaskógur. There are no public parking spots in either Brekkuskógur or Reykjaskógur and no public access to the waterfall.
NOTE: This is an example of the consequences of disrespectful behavior by travelers. Thanks to trespassing and littering by a few bad apples one of the more beautiful spots in South Iceland has been closed to everyone.
Please treat Icelandic nature with respect. Stay on marked paths, don't litter and don't trespass on private property.
Read more: Hidden geothermal pool closed due to disrespectful and littering tourists
The walking path leading to Brúarfoss waterfall has been closed by one of the landowners. The landowners argue that too many people visit the waterfall, damaging vegetation and leaving trash along the way. Travelers have also become a nuisance to owners of vacation homes near the waterfall.
Brúarfoss is a hidden waterfall on the Golden Circle, located 3 km from the road between Laugarvatn village and Geysir geothermal area. A few years ago the waterfall was visited by a handful of people each day, but according to the landowners the waterfall now sees a few hundred visitors each day. The traffic has overwhelmed the walking path leading to the waterfall. The path, which is a small dirt path, is unable to handle the traffic. In rainy or wet weather the path becomes extremely muddy and difficult to walk, forcing travelers to find ways around the worst dirt, trampling down the vegetation along the path.
Visitors have also left trash in the forest, even human waste and toilet paper. The landowners also told the local newspaper Morgunblaðið that the growing visitor numbers have become a serious nuisance to locals who stay at the many vacation homes in the forest along the river. Trespassing by visitors in the vacation home areas has become a serious problem in recent years.
Read more: Walking paths at a once hidden waterfall on Golden Circle can't handle traffic after its discovery
The only access to the path is currently from private land and the vacation home areas of Brekkuskógur and Reykjaskógur. There are no public parking spots in either Brekkuskógur or Reykjaskógur and no public access to the waterfall.
NOTE: This is an example of the consequences of disrespectful behavior by travelers. Thanks to trespassing and littering by a few bad apples one of the more beautiful spots in South Iceland has been closed to everyone.
Please treat Icelandic nature with respect. Stay on marked paths, don't litter and don't trespass on private property.
Read more: Hidden geothermal pool closed due to disrespectful and littering tourists
