Spring is a wonderful time in Iceland, and a great time to travel in the Icelandic countryside. Unfortunately spring is also the time when we see the worst cases of destruction caused by off-road driving.
All off-road driving is illegal
Park Rangers in Vatnajökull National Park have in recent days stopped several visitors who seem convinced they can drive wherever they please. The National Park shared the above photos on its facebook page, urging travelers to enjoy, rather than destroy nature. The two photos ware taken at almost exactly the same spot, but two days apart:
Driving off the road is never acceptable, and especially this time of year, when the ground is thawing. The ground begins to thaw from the top. Until it completely thaws, the top layers are very wet, because the excess water has nowhere to go.
We ask everyone who drives around Iceland, and those who provide information for tourists, to remember to stay on the road at all times. If you need to stop or turn around, look for a marked parking area or other places obviously safe. If you are unsure, give nature the benefit of the doubt. That is usually also safer for you.
Both drivers were foreign travelers. They were fined for their criminal behavior.
Remember that ALL off-road driving is illegal in Iceland. Those tire tracks take years or decades to disappear. A more serious problem is that tracks tend to draw more offenders: Once one idiot has plowed a track by destroying the vegetation, others tend to follow in his tracks.
Spring is a wonderful time in Iceland, and a great time to travel in the Icelandic countryside. Unfortunately spring is also the time when we see the worst cases of destruction caused by off-road driving.
All off-road driving is illegal
Park Rangers in Vatnajökull National Park have in recent days stopped several visitors who seem convinced they can drive wherever they please. The National Park shared the above photos on its facebook page, urging travelers to enjoy, rather than destroy nature. The two photos ware taken at almost exactly the same spot, but two days apart:
Driving off the road is never acceptable, and especially this time of year, when the ground is thawing. The ground begins to thaw from the top. Until it completely thaws, the top layers are very wet, because the excess water has nowhere to go.
We ask everyone who drives around Iceland, and those who provide information for tourists, to remember to stay on the road at all times. If you need to stop or turn around, look for a marked parking area or other places obviously safe. If you are unsure, give nature the benefit of the doubt. That is usually also safer for you.
Both drivers were foreign travelers. They were fined for their criminal behavior.
Remember that ALL off-road driving is illegal in Iceland. Those tire tracks take years or decades to disappear. A more serious problem is that tracks tend to draw more offenders: Once one idiot has plowed a track by destroying the vegetation, others tend to follow in his tracks.
