Barka River Travel Guide

Barká River (Icelandic: Barká, "bark river", because its glacial water usually runs the brown of tree bark) is a short glacial river in Barkárdalur, a side valley of Hörgárdalur on the Tröllaskagi peninsula, north-west of Akureyri.

It rises under Barkárdalsjökull, a small glacier among the Tröllaskagi peaks, some of which approach 1,500 metres, runs east down the valley and joins the Hörgá river in inner Hörgárdalur.

Super-jeep tours into the valley ford the river to reach the old turf farm at Baugasel, and that crossing is the part of the trip most visitors talk about afterwards.

Key Takeaways About Barká

• Glacial river from Barkárdalsjökull in Barkárdalur, a side valley of Hörgárdalur in Hörgársveit, North Iceland
• The valley track fords the Barká; high-clearance 4x4 and river experience needed, rental cars are not insured for it
• Baugasel preserved turf farm and the Féeggstaðafoss waterfall lie beyond the ford
• Valley mouth about 25–30 km / 35–50 min from Akureyri via Route 1 and Route 815 (Hörgárdalsvegur)
• Best late June to early September; morning crossings are lower than afternoon ones

Why visit Barká River

Barkárdalur is one of the quietest corners of Eyjafjörður's hinterland. Hörgárdalur itself is wide and well farmed near the fjord, but beyond the junction with Öxnadalur it narrows between high mountains, and its western side is cut by deep tributary valleys with small glaciers at their heads. Barkárdalur and Myrkárdalur are the two main ones. What draws people in:

• A real river crossing. The track into the valley fords the Barká where it is wide and shallow. The water is cold and fast and the colour of milky coffee; the crossing is short, but it is a genuine 4x4 moment that most visitors to North Iceland never get.
• Baugasel. In the valley stands Baugasel, a turf-and-timber farmhouse that the tour operator says was the last inhabited farm in Barkárdalur, lived in until 1965, and has since been preserved. You can walk around the grass-roofed buildings and see how an upland family lived within living memory.
• Féeggstaðafoss. A waterfall on the Féeggstaðaá, a stream that drops into Hörgárdalur from the side valley Féeggstaðadalur north of Barkárdalur, is the tour's first stop.
• Mountain scenery without crowds. The valley heads hold small glaciers, Barkárdalsjökull among them, below sharp peaks such as Féegg, which the national place-name record describes as "a high mountain but paper-thin, especially at its outer end." Old mountain routes lead over the passes to Hólar in Skagafjörður; the Tungnahryggsleið and the Hólamannavegur both start at Baugasel.
• Sheep country. The valley is summer grazing, with sheep on the slopes until the September round-up; the Saurbæjarrétt sorting pen stands in Hörgárdalur near the valley mouth.

How to get to Barká River

• From Akureyri: take Route 1 north and west around the head of Eyjafjörður, then turn onto Hörgárdalsvegur (Route 815), which follows the Hörgá up the valley past Möðruvellir. The mouth of Barkárdalur, where the Barká meets the Hörgá, is roughly 25 to 30 kilometres from Akureyri, about 35 to 50 minutes on Route 1 and the gravel Route 815.
• From Reykjavík: Akureyri is about 385 kilometres and five and a half to six hours on Route 1; the Hörgárdalur turning is just before you reach the town.
• Into the valley: the public road ends in inner Hörgárdalur. From there a rough farm track with the Barká ford leads into Barkárdalur. It needs a high-clearance 4x4 and local knowledge of the river level; the tour operator's super jeeps are the sensible way in. Ordinary rental cars and most rental 4x4s are not insured for river crossings.
• On foot: you can park near the valley mouth and walk in on the track; allow a few hours for the round trip to Baugasel and back and be ready to wade if you go beyond the ford.
• Parking: informal verges only. Do not block the farm track or gates.

Best time to visit

Late June to early September. Barká carries snowmelt in spring and early summer and rises sharply on warm afternoons and after rain, so morning crossings are easier than afternoon ones. In July and August the valley is green, the birds are nesting and the days are long.

The super-jeep tour is listed year-round, but from October to May the track is usually snow-covered and the valley is avalanche country, so do not attempt it independently; the surrounding peaks are used for heli-skiing in spring.

Safety and practical tips

• River crossings: never cross a glacial river in a car you do not know, and never on foot above the knee. Glacial water is just above freezing and the bed is loose stones.
• Weather: the inner valley is several degrees colder than Akureyri and clouds in quickly. Bring a windproof layer, hat and gloves even in July.
• Footing: wet grass, bog and scree. Hiking boots, not trainers.
• Facilities: none in Barkárdalur. The nearest toilets, fuel and food are in Akureyri. Möðruvellir church, built in 1865–1867, is passed on the way in and may be open.
• Fees and hours: no entry fee; Baugasel is unstaffed and the valley is open at all times, but it is private farmland. Close gates and leave buildings as you find them.
• Phone signal: weak in the inner valley. Tell someone your plan.