Nýidalur — Sprengisandur Midpoint Hut and Campsite

Nýidalur, also called Jökuldalur, is the one place on F26 where you can stop, sleep, and feel like you’re not on the moon. Ferðafélag Íslands (the Iceland Touring Association) runs huts here with a warden in summer, and there’s a tent campsite alongside. Expect gravel flats, a little grass, wind, and cold nights even in July. Facilities are basic and highland-style. Check with FÍ before you go on what’s open and what they charge. Don’t plan on resupply.

The site sits roughly midway between the Goðafoss end and Hrauneyjar, so it works as a natural overnight. F26 only opens when the highland roads dry out, usually late June or July through early September, and the opening date changes yearly. Check road.is for conditions before you commit. Bring everything you need, fuel included. Keep your rig on the marked tracks. The highland desert scars easily and it doesn’t heal. Verify rates, warden hours, and booking ahead with FÍ.

Have a dirty day.

Halfway oasis in the Sprengisandur desert.