No fee for either parking or the hike in September 2018

It's a lot of fun and very easy to cross the river - do not avoid it - See my attched pix's how it's easy & fun The north trail is used for returning IMO the most stunning views are from the south trail! Also, if you short in time you better hike the south up and return (and cross the river twice :) we did enjoyed it twice Though, if you still want to hike the north trail, then, after passing the entry gate look for left turn trail sign (I do remember that they have a trails map on the entrance) Enjoy

We were there at the beginning of May and it was supposed to be already across, but winter was still hanging on so they chose to delay it. I would expect that the log will be across by now but if it is still snowing there, then it may not. There don't have a specific time when they place it across the river because the weather in Iceland is rather unpredictable... Make sure to bring sturdy hiking boots, an extra pair of socks, and a bottle of water... and your camera

Hi Joe, From the parking lot it'll take you about 1,5 hour to get there, so 3 hours forth and back. The signs are not that clear but the track is visible. Do follow the track getting up and not down to the river, for they removed the tree trunk that crossed the river.

They remove the log crossing in the winter. I'm not going to say it's impossible. It will be freezing and treacherous, and that's even with the log crossing. Without the log, you are looking at a climb up the west side of the falls, across the river, and down to the usual viewing points. Each portion will present a different challenge. Then you have to do it all over again. It is certainly a less dramatic introduction to the falls. With the log present, I wouldn't hesitate to go because I could skip the river crossing. Without the log, well, that would require a lot of self-motivation.

The log won't be there, and the alternative route to the upper river crossing would be rather treacherous and frigid, to which you would have to cross twice to get back down. I won't say it's impossible, but you better have some cold weather gear and a tolerance for freezing water because you will have to remove your shoes and socks to get across.

By car, it's about an hour drive. I think that one could totally do the whole hike in a couple of hours total time. It really depends on how fast you walk and how long it takes you to cross the water. It also depends on whether you do it in the winter or summer. I think total time for us was around three hours in winter snow and having to cross the water without the log. Not sure about the light for pictures. We got to the top around noon and the lighting was good. Hope this helps. Enjoy!

Unfortunately not. It is back in a gravel a few km the road. Also, the main route is now through the tunnel to miss this stretch of highway to save miles... So not certain about traffic for hitching.