A Great Rhyolite Mountain Hike with Awesome Views Close to Reykjavík

Looking for a mountain hike close to Reykjavík? Then you don’t have to look any further. The hike to Móskarðshnjúkar summit offers beautiful views in all directions on a clear day. You have to work a bit for the best views though, as the hike is a bit steep with an elevation of 800m/2625ft. The trail is about 7km/4.3mi and takes somewhere around 3-4 hours to finish. Totally worth it!

Móskarðshnjúkar Is a Beautiful Rhyolite Summit

Móskarðshnjúkar (don’t even try to pronounce it 🙈) is a rhyolite summit on the Esja mountain range close to Reykjavík. The name actually refers to two summits that are located side by side but in this post I’m referring to the more popular one.

This summit had been on my hiking bucket list for quite some time and last summer I decided to use a beautiful day to check it off my list. And what a great hike it was. I was so impressed that I did it again two weeks later. This time with a good hiking buddy of mine.

I love rhyolite mountains. There is something about their colour that fascinates me. I find their light brown or golden colour so beautiful. And Móskarðshnjúkar looks so different from the other mountains around it as they don’t have the same colour. They make such an interesting contrast in their environment. Really stand out.

What to Expect when Reaching the Top of Móskarðshnjúkar

My experience of reaching the top on these two hikes, was very different. To say the least. When I reached it the first time, the wind was so strong that I almost couldn’t stand still. I just took a selfie (pics or it didn’t happen, right?) and filmed a short video of the view. Both turned out to be useless. I simply wasn’t able to hold my phone still enough in the strong wind.

Because of the wind, I wasn’t really able to enjoy the view from the top and just hurried down again. But the strong wind was just on the very top of the mountain. As soon as I’d walked a few meters downhill, it was like I was in a totally different place. So much calmer weather. Thus I really enjoyed the hike and the view on my way to and from the top. 

The second time around was a totally different experience. Then there was absolutely no wind on the top. I found it quite awesome to be standing on a mountain top like this on a clear day and no wind. When you live in a place like Iceland, you truly learn to appreciate calm weather. It happens so rarely that you better enjoy it when it’s there 🙂

My friend and I took it very easy on the top. Gave ourselves plenty of time to enjoy the stunning view in all directions. Mountains and valleys with a little bit of snow here and there. Gorgeous. 

Understandably we weren’t alone on the top on this beautiful day. But everybody was so easy going and relaxed. People were just chatting and taking some pictures. This time we had no problems holding the camera still when we took some pictures.

Other More Popular Trails on the Esja Mountain Range?

Now when I have done this hike, I actually don’t understand why another summit (Þverfellshorn) on this same mountain range is much more popular to climb. In my opinion Móskarðshnjúkar are way more beautiful and therefore give you a much more enjoyable hike.

I guess it has something to do with the accessibility as it takes a little bit longer to drive to the trailhead at Móskarðshnjúkar (30+ min vs about 18 min). And to be fair, it’s often hard and even impossible to access Móskarðshnjúkar in winter while the trailhead to Þverfellshorn is easily accessible year round. 

There are also a lot of people who climb Þverfellshorn on a regular basis. Even multiple time per week. In their case I think it’s more about the work out rather than the hike itself. Then it’s understandable they don’t want to drive further than they need to and that they choose a trail that is accessible year round.

So ok, I guess there are some reasons for why more people climb Þverfellshorn than Móskarðshnjúkar. But if you’re looking for a summit to climb close to Reykjavík in summer on a clear day, I absolutely recommend Móskarðshnjúkar. No doubt in my mind.

Can Be Dangerous in Winter

The easy access or the proximity to the city, doesn’t mean we’re not talking about a real mountain here. Not at all. Esja mountain range is actually known for being quite dangerous in winter and there have been numerous accidents through the years on the mountain. 

A recent example is from January 2020 when a young man died as he was caught in an avalanche close to Móskarðshnjúkar while mountain skiing. Hikers have also been caught in an avalanche on the mountain and others have fallen and gotten hurt or even died.

These are some harsh reminders of how cruel nature can be and how important it is to be careful when in the mountains. Especially in winter.

How to Get to the Trailhead to Móskarðshnjúkar

To get to the trail head, you’ll need a car as no public transportation will get you there. It’s about a 30 minutes drive from Reykjavík.

You’ll take road 36 and drive towards Þingvellir National Park. Turn off the road to the left, where a small sign says “Hrafnhólar”. Then you drive on a gravel road for about 5.5km/3.4mi until you reach your destination and can start climb this beautiful summit. Happy hiking!

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Until next time!