Getting There -- The 4WD roads to Askja and Kverkfjöll generally remain open from mid-June through mid-September or later. No mountain roads (designated by an "F" before the route number) in the region have gas stations. Inexperienced drivers may have trouble negotiating rock shards, potholes, and fords over rivers.
The standard route to Askja is Route F88, which branches off from the Ring Road (Rte. 1) 32km (20 miles) east of Mývatn and stretches 95km (59 miles) to the Drekagil mountain hut at Askja's outskirts. From there, it's a bouncy 8km (5 miles) drive on Route F894 to the Vikraborgir parking area, a 2.5km (1 1/2-mile) walk from Víti crater in central Askja.
Drivers headed from Askja to Kverkfjöll backtrack from Drekagil on Route F88 and then take Route F910 southeast to Route F902 (confusingly, another branch of Route F910 heads directly from Drekagil west to Nýidalur in Sprengisandur). Those headed straight from the Ring Road to Kverkfjöll usually start on Route F905 (by the Möðrudalur gas station/cafe, 65km/40 miles east of Mývatn), and then take Route F910 to Route F902. The distance from Möðrudalur to the Sigurðarskáli hut at Kverkfjöll is 108km (67 miles).
Visitor Information -- Offices in Akureyri, Mývatn, and Egilsstaðir can all provide information on the Askja and Kverkfjöll region. For consultation on hikes in the Askja area, contact Ferðafélag Akureyrar. This organization runs the mountain huts at Þórsteinsskáli, Route F88, at Herðubreiðarlindir (tel. 864-9301) and Drekagil, Route F88, at Drekagil (tel. 853-2541), and the hut wardens have current information on road and weather conditions. For hikes in the Kverkfjöll area, the authority is Ferðafélag Fljótsdalshéraðs, which runs the Sigurðarskáli hut; again the wardens have the local lowdown. The huts are generally staffed from mid-June through August or mid-September.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
