Skútustaðir Pseudo Craters
The Skútustaðagígar pseudo-craters on the southern shore of Lake Myvatn are Iceland's largest and best-preserved pseudocrater field, with over 50 individual formations scattered across the wetlands. Unlike true volcanic craters, they were created 2,300 years ago when molten lava flowed over waterlogged ground, trapping steam that blasted through the surface in a series of explosions. The result is a surreal landscape of grass-covered bowl-shaped mounds that look volcanic but have no connection to any magma source below.
Craters Formed by Steam, Not Eruption, on the Shore of Lake Myvatn
Pseudo-craters, also called rootless cones or rootless craters, form when flowing lava encounters wet ground or shallow water. Rather than erupting from a magma conduit underground, the intense heat of the lava causes the trapped water beneath to turn instantly to steam, which then blasts upward through the surface. The Skútustaðagígar field was created around 2,300 years ago during the Ludentaborgir and Threngslaborgir eruptions, when lava poured across what was then a broad marshy area south of Lake Myvatn. The explosions left behind over 50 craters ranging from a few metres to around 50 metres across. The site has been a protected nature reserve since 1973 and the nearby Skutustadir farm mound has been dated to between 817 and 930 AD, suggesting people have lived alongside these formations since the earliest Icelandic settlement.
Two walking trails loop through the pseudocrater field from the car park. The shorter western circuit takes around 20 to 30 minutes and is suitable for all fitness levels, passing between the grass-covered mounds with views across the lake. The longer trail circles the adjacent pond Stakholstjorn and takes around an hour. Wooden staircases lead to the rim of the largest craters, giving elevated views over the wetlands, lake, and surrounding volcanic landscape. The area around the craters is one of the best birdwatching spots in Iceland, with Lake Myvatn hosting more nesting duck species than anywhere else in Europe. Barrow's Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Tufted Duck, and Red-necked Phalarope are all regularly seen in the surrounding wetlands.
Skútustaðir is on Route 848 on the southern shore of Lake Myvatn, just off Route 1, around 100 kilometres east of Akureyri. Entry is free and the car park is open year-round, though the full trail loop can be icy in winter. The pseudocrater field is the first major Myvatn attraction encountered when approaching from Akureyri and fits naturally into a full Myvatn day that also includes Dimmuborgir, Hverir, Krafla, and Earth Lagoon a few kilometres to the east.
