Mountain bike day tour in Heiðmörk nature reserve, next to Reykjavík city

Trip difficulty 2 out of 5 possible. Rated: Easy.

Heiðmörk is one of the largest outdoor areas next to the capital city of Reykjavík, covering over 3000 hectares of land. The area, which has been a Nature Reserve since 1950, is extremely valuable and important to Icelanders and especially to the people of Reykjavík for many reasons.

Heiðmörk is probably best known for being one of the primary sources for cold water in the capital region for many many years, dating back to the founding of The Reykjavík Water Supply in 1909. Today, four springs in Heiðmörk are in use, and legend claims that they play a big part in the long life expectancies of Icelandic natives. (Male average: 79 years and second in the world, Female average: 83 years and highest in the world).

The fact that Heiðmörk is on the border of the Hengill volcanic system, one of Iceland´s 30 volcanic systems, makes the surroundings both surrreal and beautiful. The crown of this system, the still active Hengill central volcano, is clearly visable from the top of Heiðmörk alongside many other volcanoes. Five different lava fields also surround Heiðmörk; among them are Rauðhólar, a 4.800 year old field of rootless craters, and Búrfellshraun, a 7.400 year old lava deposit about 20 meters thick and covering 18 km2.

Heiðmörk also has a proper forest that Icelanders are really proud of, since 67% of Iceland is defined as a desert! The first trees in Heiðmörk were planted in 1949 after The Reykjavík Forestry Association was founded. At that time, over 5.000 plants were planted, and now the forest covers some 800 hectares, boasting over five million plants and about 150 species of flowers. This environment makes a perfect home for rabbits and over 60 types of birds are commonly seen in the area.

For these reasons as well as the fact that Heiðmörk is only a stone´s throw from Reykjavík, it has been used for various outdoors activities for many years. In the summer time it‘s common to see people play soccer and volleyball in one of the many grassy fields, while others choose to go fishing in the Elliðavatn lake or Elliðaá river, a top ten rated salmon fishing river in Iceland that runs straight through the city of Reykjavík. The gravel tracks in and around the Heiðmörk area now cover over 40 km, making it the perfect place for hiking, horseback riding and of course mountain biking.

Equipped with 28 gear mountain bikes, we start the day with a flat warm up before a rewarding half-hour climb through the forest, riding past two of Reykjavík‘s springs and its oldest planted forest. Once on top, we get to enjoy a stunning 360° view over Reykjavík city and the Hengill vocanic system before starting our descent towards Elliðavatn lake. From there we ride alongside the lake, by the first parliament in Reykjavík, and past the birthplace of Einar Benediktsson, one of Iceland‘s most beloved poets, before heading back to our starting point. On the way we will make plenty of interesting stops to catch our breath, snap photos, and learn about our surroundings.