How To Travel The Road F249 (Þórsmerkurvegur)
Iceland, europe
31.9 km
N/A
moderate
Year-round
The infamous Þórsmerkurvegur (F249 Road) is a very exciting and challenging drive located in the Southern Region of Iceland. There are a lot of river crossings on the road. It’s one of the famous F Roads of the country.
The road is 31.9 km (19.82 miles) long, running from the Ring Road to Þórsmörk Nature Reserve. The road is better to be avoided if you don’t have a proper car, enough experience, and perfect knowledge of river crossing rules.
The road starts off as paved (249) and then switches to gravel (F249). It is a rough and challenging road. It's essential to have a reliable 4-wheel-drive vehicle with significant ground clearance to navigate the challenging terrains and river crossings of F249. There are some streams, creeks, and rivers you need to cross to get to Þórsmörk Nature Reserve. For those looking to explore Iceland with a rental car, ensure you choose a vehicle suitable for F-roads to guarantee a safe journey.
The final river crossing (Krossá river) is probably the biggest river crossing you may encounter on marked F-roads in Iceland. Crossing the river requires a large and a specially modified 4×4 vehicle and plenty of experience. This river can be very deep, and it also has loose gravel underneath, providing a very unstable path for vehicles. The river can be different from day to day, so there is no one way to cross it. It needs great experience with Icelandic mountain roads and a vehicle that is fit for these conditions to drive over this river. Even with a super-jeep, it’s not guaranteed you’re gonna pass.
The road is only open during the summer months, usually between late June and early September. Avoid committing your vehicle to what is in front of you until you are sure of what you are getting into because things could get worse. Crossing big rivers requires a bit of experience. You will have to cross 15-20 rivers. Only well-equipped jeeps and larger vehicles are able to cross the rivers. These rivers can be dangerous. Always check the river to ensure that it's not too deep. Car rental vehicles are forbidden to go on the road.
Tucked away in the Þórsmörk Nature Reserve, the moon-like road is very scenic with towering glaciers and volcanoes all around. It’s a popular tourist destination in the southern Icelandic highlands. There is absolutely so much to see on your way there that you can spend a whole day on this road.
Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our interactive map to discover the most spectacular roads of the world
Drive Us to Your Road!
With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click here to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.
Where is it?
How To Travel The Road F249 (Þórsmerkurvegur) is located in Iceland (europe). Coordinates: 65.5939, -17.7618
Road Details
- Country
- Iceland
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 31.9 km
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 65.5939, -17.7618
Related Roads in europe
extremeWhere is Monte Zoufplan?
🇮🇹 Italy
Okay, picture this: you're carving through the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, heading towards a beast of a peak called Monte Zoufplan. This isn't your Sunday drive; it's an adventure that throws you right into the heart of the Alpi Carniche Centrali. So, where is this hidden gem? Tucked away near the Austrian border, starting from the tiny village of Cercivento. Once you hit the top, prepare for views that stretch for miles, especially north towards the Monte Croce Carnico pass. Oh, and that building you see? It’s a high-tech weather radar and seismic station – pretty cool, right? Now, about the road itself. The first 10 kilometers are paved, but hold on tight – it's ridiculously narrow. Think one-car-width narrow! Then, things get real. The pavement vanishes, replaced by 5 kilometers of pure gravel mountain track. It's a bit of a white-knuckle drive, with drop-offs and zero guardrails. You'll definitely want a high-clearance vehicle for this part; the surface can get pretty dicey after a storm. How long is this epic climb? From Cercivento, you're looking at a total of 15 kilometers, but it’s a serious climb. We're talking about 1,343 meters of elevation gain, which works out to an average gradient of 8.44%. But don’t be fooled by the average; there are some seriously steep sections in there. The road twists and turns, starting in dense forests and then bursting out onto exposed ridges. Slow and steady wins the race here; it's so narrow that meeting another car means some careful maneuvering. One last thing: winter is a no-go. This road is completely shut down from about October to late June because of snow and ice. Even in summer, the weather in the Carnic Alps can change on a dime, with fog rolling in and cutting visibility to almost nothing. So, check the forecast, prep your ride, and get ready for a climb you won't forget.
hardLac de Cap-de-Long: One of the Highest Paved Roads in the French Pyrenees
🇫🇷 France
# Lac de Cap-de-Long: A Alpine Adventure Ready for one seriously epic mountain drive? Lac de Cap-de-Long sits pretty at 2,161m (7,089ft) in France's Hautes-Pyrénées, making it one of the loftiest paved roads in the entire French Pyrenees—yep, it actually beats the legendary Col du Tourmalet! Nestled in the Occitania region of southwestern France, this stunning reservoir is just south of Lac d'Aubert. The road curves dramatically around the northern edge of the Crête des Alharisses, treating you to absolutely jaw-dropping mountain vistas the whole way. The best part? The entire route to France's largest Pyrenean reservoir is paved. Sure, it gets a bit squeezed in places, but totally doable. The D929—locals call it the Route des Lacs—climbs as a dead-end road, snaking toward the dam through a spectacular finale of hairpin turns that'll get your adrenaline pumping. Starting from the village of Aragnouet, you're looking at a 13.5 km (8.38 miles) push uphill that gains 1,029 meters of elevation. The average gradient hangs around 7.62%, but some sections crank up to a spicy 11.8%. Once you reach the top, you'll find a sprawling parking area (fair warning: it gets packed during peak season), a café for well-deserved refreshments, and tons of hiking trails branching out through the alpine landscape.
hardMillau Viaduct is a French work of art
🇫🇷 France
# The Millau Viaduct: France's Sky-High Engineering Marvel Picture this: you're driving through southern France, heading toward the Massif Central mountains, when suddenly you're soaring 343 meters above the River Tarn—higher than the Eiffel Tower. Welcome to the Millau Viaduct, the world's tallest bridge and one of those rare structures that's genuinely jaw-dropping. Located in the Occitanie region's Midi-Pyrénées area, this architectural masterpiece stretches for 2,460 meters across four lanes, connecting Paris with Béziers and Montpellier via the A75-A71 autoroute. Built between 2001 and 2004, it's the brainchild of French engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster—a collaboration that resulted in pure genius. The sleek cable-stayed design with its slender white masts looks almost ethereal, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape rather than dominating it. No wonder it's racked up awards for design excellence. **What to expect when you drive it:** This toll road is entirely paved, but don't underestimate it. Heavy caravans should probably skip this one—the approach roads feature serious climbs and descents that'll test your brakes. Winter driving? Sudden snowfall isn't uncommon up here, and the road can shut down fast. High winds are particularly treacherous for trucks, buses, and trailers; their size makes them vulnerable to being pushed around, so slow down and increase your following distance. Even in a regular car, overtaking requires serious caution—the wind turbulence from larger vehicles can catch you off guard. The views are genuinely spectacular, though—gazing down on the Tarn Valley from that height is something you won't forget. Just keep your eyes on the road.
moderateWhere is Estrecho del Hocino?
🇪🇸 Spain
Okay, picture this: you're in south-central Spain, specifically the western part of Albacete province. You're about to experience the Estrecho del Hocino, a seriously stunning canyon carved out by the Salobre River between the Hocino and Navaza hills. Forget your car for this one. The old Reolid-Salobre road, once a fully paved (but very narrow!) path hugging the canyon, is now closed to vehicles. A massive rockfall back in the 2010s saw to that. Now, it's strictly for hikers only, offering a truly immersive experience. This isn’t some super long trek; the road section through the canyon is only about . You'll be walking with the river on one side and the rising canyon walls on the other. While you can drive nearby on the , trust me, experiencing the Estrecho del Hocino on foot is the way to go.