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Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck Hike

The wreckage of a US military DC-3 aircraft has lain lost on a black sand beach on Iceland's south coast since its crash in 1973. The aircraft encountered severe icing at the time, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing on a frozen river at Sólheimasandur. Fortunately, all seven crew members survived and were rescued by helicopter. The US military then abandoned the aircraft after removing any spare parts. The fuselage remained relatively intact, gradually turning the site into a popular tourist destination.

Over the years, the wreckage has suffered superficial damage from graffiti, gunfire, and tourists, as well as the effects of time. To protect this piece of history, it is now illegal to enter the plane or climb on the fuselage.

The hike to the wreck is interesting only for the sake of seeing the plane itself. The trail is completely flat and straight, crossing a bleak and desolate landscape, as shown in the last photo.

Remarks

Parking: Paid parking is available at Sólheimasandur along Route 1 (Ring Road), about 8 km east of Skógar and the famous Skógafoss waterfall. Indicative price in 2025: ISK 750 (about €5) per vehicle.

Shuttle: A paid shuttle runs daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. between the parking lot and the wreck (about a 15-minute ride).

Difficulties of the hike

The hike to the wreck presents absolutely no technical difficulty. The trail is perfectly flat with no elevation gain and follows a straight line for about seven kilometers round trip. The route crosses a vast expanse of gravel and black volcanic sand marked by yellow posts.