About Reiarsfossen
Reiarsfossen (or Reiårsfossen; I think is pronounced “RYE-ors-foss-un”) was probably the one seemingly major waterfall that Julie and I targeted and visited while in the Setesdal Valley (Setesdalen).
It wouldn’t surprise us if this waterfall was about 200m tall because it was a pretty thick twisting band of water coming down the steep mountain wall spilling into Setesdalen and ultimately feeding into the Åraks Fjord (Åraksfjorden).
We managed to see this falls both from alongside the highway, from a short scramble near its base, and from a grassy camping area (see directions below).
Since this was an east-facing waterfall, we had to contend with the late afternoon light on our first visit.
However, we timed it perfectly when we made a morning drive from Rysstad to Kristiansand on a subsequent visit many years later.
Experiencing Reiårsfossen from the official viewpoint
In my mind, this was the most obvious way to experience Reiarsfossen due to its proximity to the Rv9 (see directions below).
It also featured a spacious car park with plenty of signage to ensure you don’t miss it.
While the views from this roadside stop put us quite close to its impressive drop, it left quite a bit to be desired, especially since trees tended to obstruct the line of sight to its bottom.
However, after doing a quick recon of the area, I noticed a path that started towards the south side of the car park.
Once on that path, it climbed briefly towards an informal junction, where the footpath on the left led up an even more overgrown and rocky ascent right up to Reiarsfossen’s base.
Along the way, I managed to get commanding views across Setesdalen, and after a few minutes more, I managed to scramble onto the rocks right at the base of the falls.
I’m sure scrambling closer to the falls was possible, but I didn’t feel the need to take any further risks to go further.
Experiencing Reiårsfossen from the camping complex
Across the Rv9 we also managed to get satisfying full views of Reiarsfossen as you can see from the photos at the top of this page.
Once within the camping complex, we could turn left at the fork to a clearing where we could get out of the car and walk towards the river for an unobstructed view of the falls reflected in the water.
Deeper into the camping complex, I managed to get contextual views where the camping buildings fronted the waterfall.
For all intents and purposes, this waterfall didn’t require any exertion as it was visible from just about anywhere on site.
Indeed, you could camp or rent a cabin here, and you’ll likely score a nice view of Reiarsfossen.
Authorities
Reiarsfossen resides near Rysstad in the Bygland Municipality in Agder County (formerly Augst-Agder), Norway. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or their Facebook page.
Reiarsfossen was right along the Hwy (Riksvei) 9 through Setesdal Valley.
The well-signed official pullout sat about 25km south of the town of Rysstad, and about 21km north of the town of Bygland.
This drive would take around a half-hour or less.
The turnoff for Reiarsfossen Camping was about 200m south of the aforementioned official pullout.
For geographical context, Rysstad was 43km (a little over a half-hour drive) north of Bygland, 97km (about 1.5 hours drive) south of Haukeli, 141km (under 2 hours drive) north of Kristiansand, 159km (over 2.5 hours drive) southwest of Rjukan, 159km (over 2.5 hours drive) east of Stavanger, and 300km (under 5 hours drive) west of Oslo.
Find A Place To Stay
Semi-circular sweep of Reiarsfossen and reflections as well as some of the surrounding scenery as seen from the river running through Setesdal
Sweep from the signed car park right near the base of the waterfall
Short semicircular sweep starting with the panorama across the Setesdal Valley before panning along the stream to the falls
Long video showing various angles of the falls as seen from the camping area
Related Trip Reports
Related Top 10 Lists
No Posts Found
Related Itineraries
Trip Planning Resources
Nearby Accommodations
Featured Images and Nearby Attractions
Visitor Comments:
Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...No users have replied to the content on this page
Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:
If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall
Nearest Waterfalls
