Volcanic crater ringed by red slopes with a blue-green lake at the center. Gravel paths trace the rim while a staircase drops to the water, with parking and restrooms just beyond the entrance.
Formed by the collapse of a volcanic cone a few thousand years ago, Kerið Crater is nearly symmetrical – deep, wide, and lined with red volcanic rock. The parking lot brings you right up to the rim, where the first view reveals a steep bowl with a lake at the bottom that shifts from turquoise to deep blue depending on the light. The rim path loops for about a third of a mile, tracing the edge with grasslands stretching out on one side and low mountains visible in the distance. A set of stairs cuts down the slope, sturdy at the top but turning to gravel closer to the water. At the bottom, the lake sits close – usually calm, sometimes ringed with moss, and always framed by those rust-red slopes. Water levels change with the season, but there’s always a pool at the center. The whole area stays exposed to the weather, with wind often sweeping across the top and little cover around the rim. Entry is through a small gate near the lot, with a fee collected at the entrance. Most people make a circuit along the rim, drop down to the lake, and head back out the same way. Among the region’s old volcanic craters, Kerið’s vivid color and shape set it apart.
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