World of Waterfalls

Explore The World One Waterfall At A Time

Urridafoss, Katlar, and Rettarfoss

Vatnajokull National Park (formerly Jokulsargljufur National Park), Northeast Region (Norðurland eystra), Iceland

About Urridafoss, Katlar, and Rettarfoss

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.
Jump to: Photos, Videos, Other Info
Jump to: Comments and Reviews
Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Urridafoss (Urriðafoss; I think is pronounced “OOR-ri-thuh-foss”; meaning “Trout Falls”) was a cascading waterfall flowing on a tributary of Jökulsá á Fjöllum amongst foliage in the Hólmatungur section right next to the cut in the chasm at Katlar. To be honest, I wasn’t totally sure that what I’ve photographed on this page was the correct falls, but it was the only one of any size that we saw while walking the Katlar loop, which our GPS mapping pre-trip waypoint suggested that it was supposed to be here. Further reinforcing that might lead us to believe we were correct in associating this falls with Urriðafoss was that a map sign near the car park confirmed what our pre-trip waypoint said. By the way, this waterfall should not be confused with the wide river waterfall on the Þjórsá River in Southern Iceland.

In order to view this waterfall, we had to walk a 2.4km loop from the car park (see directions below) to Katlar. We walked this loop in a counterclockwise direction so when we were leaving Katlar and headed back out to complete the loop, that was when we finally noticed this cascade (which we initially didn’t realize was Urriðafoss until we looked at our maps after the trip).

In addition to this waterfall, the Katlar area was also very interesting there were a handful of waterfalls seeping into the maze of rifts and fractures within the small gorge. As we walked amongst this beat up landscape, we found ourselves walking on narrow “peninsulas” or protrusions into the mini-gorge allowing us to better appreciate the power of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River. As we looked downstream, we could see the canyon Jökulsárgljúfur open up once again while we could also see a sliver of Hólmarfossar in the distance.

Back at the car park, there was also a trail that went uphill to the right (in the upstream direction towards Dettifoss). About 400m from the car park near the top of the climb, I was able to get views of the impressive Réttarfoss (“Folded Falls”?), which was a short horseshoe-shaped waterfall similar to Selfoss. Unfortunately, the view of the falls from here was rather distant and only from the top down so I had to look closely to really appreciate that there was indeed a major waterfall down there on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum.

0 Comments
Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.

Related Top 10 Lists

No Posts Found

Trip Planning Resources

Europe Highlights

Iceland: Reviews of Travel Resources

The Icelandic Language

Iceland Highlights


Nearby Accommodations

This content is for subscribers only. See Membership Options.

Tagged with: holmatungur, jokulsa a fjollum, vatnsjokull, jokulsargljufur, northeast region, iceland, nordurland eystra, waterfall, akureyri, myvatn, reykjahlid, grand canyon, dettifoss, katlar



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


Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

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


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls



How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps