Stapagljúfur Canyon Campsite is a simple wilderness campsite located just north of Reykjavík - as close as one can be to town without seeing it or being embedded in urban sprawl. The small canyon Stapagljúfur cuts through the property, carved …
by the meltwater river Miðdalsá. A nondescript driveway, a shed, and a small home construction site are the only structures on this otherwise untouched 8 hectares of countryside. Parking is available in the grass at the end of and beside the driveway. Guests may camp anywhere they please (from the windbreak-fence to the east, to about 50 meters from the fence to the west - about half a kilometer long) - although the bottom of the canyon is the most scenic and offers the best shelter. The site offers natural beauty, local hiking (incl. 1 km of twisting canyon on the grounds) and access to the backside of the mountain Esja; wild herbs (thyme, meadowsweet, etc), and berry picking in the fall. Hvalfjörður is one of the closest natural gems to Reykjavík, a beautiful fjörd, with Iceland's second-tallest waterfall (Glymur) at its bottom. Stapagljúfur is a wilderness campsite, so facilities are basic, and no staff are available on-site. Water (collected and filtered from an underground stream) is available from a tap in front of the shed from spring to fall. Electricity is available within 50 metres of the shed (4 sockets, max 1kW per socket / 3,5kW total). Trash bins are available down the road (direction of Hvalfjörður). No toilets or showers are on site (bodily waste *must* be buried). Public pools/spas with full facilities are available 20 minutes away in Mosfellsbær and Akranes (1000kr for adults, 0-130kr for children), a supermarket and gas station are available in Grundarhverfi (10 minutes away), and a café/restaurant (Kaffi Kjós) is 15 minutes to the east. Campsite fees (Paypal: karenpease@gmail.com): Rules: Directions from Reykjavík: * By car: Leave town heading east towards Mosfellsbær on Vesturlandsvegur; this turns north and becomes the Ring Road (Hringvegurinn / Þjóðvegur 1). You'll wrap around Esja (Reykjavík's "city mountain", past Grundarhverfi, and right before you get to the tunnel (Hvalfjarðargöng) you'll turn right on Hvalfjarðarvegur. Next turn right at the first valley (Miðdalur / Eyrafjallsvegur). Just 1 1/2km down the road, you'll turn right at a nondescript driveway toward a gray metal shed and a home construction site. Park on the grass behind the shed / above the construction side, or alongside the driveway if you'd rather (please do not drive any further along the grass than you have to). Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?fbclid=IwAR1yBh09ndBGB0V\_qHv17xR09wuxVVf9M5uQkl\_O3kOH6ROGc9Y043WjifE&mid=1voYGqMUuDfgVtMaSo6Jt7IcAS0M1tpkY&ll=64.30155413919876%2C-21.771541399999933&z=16 https://ja.is/kort/?type=map&x=366108&y=425089&z=11&page=1&q=stapaglj%C3%BAfri&fbclid=IwAR3bbw69KY\_ysaL3bJ4FMggdG\_VTBPgugTD9S\_hjU7R7vcPabRRUtBDpEo0 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stapagljufur/?modal=admin\_todo\_tour Feel free to contact me any time, either on Facebook or by email (karenpease@gmail.com); I'd be glad to answer any questions you have! You can also reach me by phone, (+354) 778-3214. I love my land and enjoy spending time on it, and I decided to open it up to guests so that they can hopefully enjoy it as much as I do - as well as to give visitors near the capital region a low-cost wilderness camping option, vs. the (several times as expensive) full-service campsites elsewhere in the area. There's no need to book in advance, but I'd love to hear from you, either before your trip or afterwards! :)
Directions from Reykjavík: * By car: Leave town heading east towards Mosfellsbær on Vesturlandsvegur; this turns north and becomes the Ring Road (Hringvegurinn / Þjóðvegur 1). You'll wrap around Esja (Reykjavík's "city mountain", past Grundarhverfi, and right before you get …
to the tunnel (Hvalfjarðargöng) you'll turn right on Hvalfjarðarvegur. Next turn right at the first valley (Miðdalur / Eyrafjallsvegur). Just 1 1/2km down the road, you'll turn right at a nondescript driveway toward a gray metal shed and a home construction site. Park on the grass behind the shed / above the construction side, or alongside the driveway if you'd rather (please do not drive any further along the grass than you have to). * Public transport: this is possible, although it requires a 9km hike, bike ride, or hitchhiking. Take Strætó route 57 to Esjugrund in Grundarhverfi. Then continue north toward Hvalfjörður, as per the driving directions.
