Öskjuhlíð — Reykjavík's Forest Hill
Forested hill — walking trails through planted woods from Perlan to Nauthólsvík beach.
About
About Öskjuhlíð — Reykjavík's Forest Hill
Forested hill — walking trails through planted woods from Perlan to Nauthólsvík beach.
Öskjuhlíð is a forested hill in southwest Reykjavík topped by Perlan museum and surrounded by walking/jogging trails.
Background
History & Background
Öskjuhlíð ('Ash Hill') named for volcanic ash deposits. The hill was barren until afforestation began 1950s as experiment by Reykjavík Forestry Association. Perlan hot water tanks built 1930s–1940s, glass dome added 1991. The forest has become one of Reykjavík's most-used recreation areas.
Öskjuhlíð hill rises to 61 metres above sea level in southwest Reykjavík, about 2 km from city centre. The hill is topped by Perlan museum (built atop six hot water tanks) and surrounded by planted forest. **Forest:** Planted from 1950s onward with Alaskan lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce, birch and other species. The goal was afforestation research — testing which tree species could survive Iceland's climate. The experiment succeeded, creating one of Reykjavík's rare wooded areas. **Trails:** Network of walking/jogging paths (~5 km total) winding through forest from Perlan to Nauthólsvík beach. Trails are well-maintained, mostly flat or gentle slopes. Popular with joggers, dog-walkers, families. **Perlan:** Museum and observation deck at summit (see separate attraction entry). **Nauthólsvík Beach:** Geothermal beach at base of hill (see separate attraction entry). The forest is particularly atmospheric in winter when snow settles on pine branches and the paths are quiet.
Folklore
Story & Folklore
Trees are rare in Iceland — the country was once forested, but Viking-era settlers cut everything down for fuel and building material, and the trees never recovered. Today only ~2% of Iceland is forested. Öskjuhlíð is one of Reykjavík's few wooded areas — a planted forest of Alaskan pine, Sitka spruce and birch covering a hill in southwest Reykjavík. The planting began in the 1950s as an experiment in afforestation, and it worked: today the forest is thick enough to feel like wilderness. The trails wind through the forest from Perlan at the summit down to Nauthólsvík geothermal beach at sea level. Locals jog here year-round, walk their dogs, bring children to play in the trees. It's peaceful, green, and feels profoundly un-Icelandic — which is exactly why Reykjavík residents love it.
💡 Did You Know?
The trees on Öskjuhlíð are imports — none are native Icelandic species (Iceland's only native tree is dwarf birch). The forest is an entirely human-created landscape.
Local Legend
The Forest That Shouldn't Exist
Iceland has almost no trees — Vikings cut them all down 1,000 years ago. Then in the 1950s Reykjavík planted a forest on Öskjuhlíð just to see if it would work. It did.
Experiences
Tours Near Öskjuhlíð — Reykjavík's Forest Hill
Best-rated Iceland experiences — book with free cancellation
Culture
Stories & Legends
Icelandic sagas and folklore from this area
Engey
Engey is a historic location in Iceland mentioned in "Njáls saga", one of the ancient Íslendingasögur (Sagas of Icelanders). These medieval narratives preserve the history of Iceland's Viking Age settlement.
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is a historic location in Iceland mentioned in "Harðar saga og Hólmverja", one of the ancient Íslendingasögur (Sagas of Icelanders). These medieval narratives preserve the history of Iceland's Viking Age settlement.
Skuggabaldur – The Shadow Creature
Skuggabaldur: A phantom dog guarding forgotten paths.
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Höfði House: Reykjavík's historic mansion with a chilling paranormal past.
Explore
Hidden Gems Nearby
✦ The Winter Snow-Covered Forest
When snow settles on the pine trees in winter, Öskjuhlíð becomes genuinely magical — silent, white, peaceful. The most un-Icelandic landscape in Iceland.
✦ The Dog-Walker Morning Ritual
Early mornings (7–8am) the trails are full of locals walking dogs before work — it's the friendliest, most social time on the trails.
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Location
📍 Location
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