Thorufoss

About Thorufoss

Rating: 2.5

Difficulty: 1

Hiking Distance: almost roadside

Suggested Time:

Date first visited: 2007-06-21

Date last visited: 2021-08-05

Waterfall Latitude: 64.26097

Waterfall Longitude: -21.36997

Directions: Get to the waterfall

Vicinity: Find nearby waterfalls

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Thorufoss (Icelandic spelling is Þórufoss; pronounced “THOR-oo-foss”) was an obscure yet attractive waterfall we saw on the Laxá í Kjós River.

Not only did it have a pretty satisfying size in a raw and Naturesque landscape, but it also featured a somewhat trapezoidal shape.

Thorufoss_027_06212007 - Thorufoss — Thorufoss

I called this waterfall obscure because it didn’t seem to be well signposted (if at all) during our first visit in June 2007.

It basically came down to trusting our GPS with map software and hoping that the pre-trip waypoint was correctly put in.

The waterfall and ravine that it was in was not visible from the small pullout (see directions below).

So we had to walk a short distance towards the river (and the source of the noise of falling water) onto a wide bluff overlooking the river before the falls finally revealed itself.

Thorufoss_046_08052021 - Looking back at a group of tourists who managed to follow us to the base of Þórufoss after seeing how we followed one of the unofficial use-trails — Looking back at a group of tourists who managed to follow us to the base of Þórufoss after seeing how we followed one of the unofficial use-trails

On that first visit of the falls, we were content to with the elevated and contextual views of Thorufoss without getting a closer look at its base.

Anyways, when we came back in August 2021 (14 years after our first visit), we found that the obscurity of this waterfall was no more.

We observed that there was a dedicated signposted car park, and the once-obscure use-trails that weren’t so obvious back in 2007 now were quite pronounced.

I even stumbled upon a video showing a scene from the Game of Thrones (even though I’ve never watched the HBO series), which undoubtedly brought it more attention.

Laxa_i_Kjos_003_06212007 - Þórufoss is on the Laxá í Kjós River, which is said to be great for salmon fishing. The waterfall is perhaps the largest of the many rapids and cascades that run towards Hvalfjörður to the north — Þórufoss is on the Laxá í Kjós River, which is said to be great for salmon fishing. The waterfall is perhaps the largest of the many rapids and cascades that run towards Hvalfjörður to the north

Speaking of the use trails, given the reputation of the river Laxá í Kjós (upon which Þórufoss flowed on) for its quantity of feisty Atlantic Salmon, I suspected these use-trails were probably started by anglers reaching the banks of the river.

So given the more obvious use-trails that we noticed on our second visit, we managed to scramble down one of these trails to reach the banks of the river.

Then, we were able to follow the narrow “trail” hugging the south side of the river towards the mist zone at the base of the falls.

There’s nothing official about this narrow and slippery trail so we really did this at our own risk.

Thorufoss_009_08052021 - Looking down along the narrow and eroded banks of this side cascade as we took it down towards the base of Þórufoss — Looking down along the narrow and eroded banks of this side cascade as we took it down towards the base of Þórufoss

Of course, after the lemmings effect of other people watching us do this, pretty soon many other people did the same, and I’d imagine these use-trails will continue to become more pronounced (and more eroded) over time.

Authorities

Thorufoss resides in the Capital Region of Iceland near Reykjavik, Iceland. It is administered by the municipality of Kjósarhreppur. For information or inquiries about the general area as well as current conditions, you may want to try visiting their website.

Route to this Waterfall

This was the approach we took as we had come from the direction of Hvalfjörður (after having visited Glymur and Sjávarfoss.

From the route 47 and 48 junction (at the mouth of the river Laxá í Kjós), we drove about 17km southeast on the unpaved route 48 (essentially running parallel to the river) until we saw a pole and a pullout on our left.

Thorufoss_052_06212007 - In 2007, this pole kind of served as our landmark letting us know that we were some place close to where we wanted to be - the Thorufoss waterfall — In 2007, this pole kind of served as our landmark letting us know that we were some place close to where we wanted to be – the Thorufoss waterfall

That pole basically served as a landmark (maybe the sign that was attached to it was taken off or blown down?) to hint to us that perhaps this was the correct place to stop.

It’s a little over 42km from Reykjavik to the route 47 and 48 junction.

The route 47/48 junction was about 12km east of where the Ring Road goes under the Hvalfjörður.

We left the Ring Road to go onto Road 47 at this junction.