Yes, Iceland has trees, but forests cover only about 2% of the land. Here is why the country lost its woodland, how it is replanting and where to walk among birch and spruce today.
There is an old Icelandic joke that every guide tells sooner or later. What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest? You stand up. Drive across the lava fields of the southwest, and the joke makes sense, because mile after mile you see moss, grass and black rock, but barely a tree.
So, are there trees in Iceland? Yes. Iceland has native birch woods, planted forests of spruce, pine and larch, and a few groves where trees now top 30 meters. But forests cover only about 2% of the country, far less than when the first settlers arrived in the ninth century. The story of how Iceland lost its trees, and how it is slowly getting them back, explains a lot about the landscape you see today.
Are there trees in Iceland?
Yes, there are trees in Iceland, but not many. By Iceland's own definition, which counts woodland with trees that can reach at least 2 meters, forests and woodlands cover roughly 2% of the land. Under the stricter United Nations definition, which only counts trees that reach 5 meters, the figure drops to well under 1%, as Statistics Iceland's forest indicator explains.
Most of the native woodland is downy birch, a hardy tree that often grows as a twisted shrub only a few meters tall. Alongside it, you will find rowan, tea-leaved willow and a few small stands of aspen. Planted forests add Sitka spruce, Siberian larch and lodgepole pine, which grow taller and straighter than the native birch.
Why are there no trees in Iceland?
There used to be far more. When Norse settlers arrived around 874, birch woodland covered a large part of the lowlands. Estimates vary, but researchers generally put settlement-era woodland at roughly a quarter of the country, or more. The sagas describe the island as wooded "between mountain and shore."
Within a few centuries, most of it was gone. By the middle of the 20th century, woodland covered less than 1% of Iceland. Several causes worked together, and they reinforced each other.
Settlers cleared the woodland
The first settlers needed land for grazing and hay, timber for building and fuel for fires. They cut and burned birch woods to create pasture, and they used birch to make charcoal for smelting bog iron into tools and weapons. In a cold country with no coal, wood was the main fuel for centuries.
Driftwood and imported timber
Once the forests were gone, Icelanders had to find wood elsewhere. Driftwood, carried by ocean currents from the great rivers of Siberia, washed up on northern beaches and became a valuable resource, with rights to collect it written into old land laws. Timber was also imported from Norway, but it was expensive and scarce for centuries.
That scarcity shaped Icelandic building traditions. Turf houses, built from layers of grass sod on stone foundations with a minimal wooden frame, were common across the country until the early 20th century. Several restored turf farms and churches can still be visited today.
Sheep stopped the forests from coming back
Clearing alone might not have been permanent, because birch regrows readily. The real problem was grazing. Sheep and other livestock ate young shoots and seedlings, so cut woodland never recovered. Sheep still graze freely across much of rural Iceland in summer, which remains one of the main obstacles to natural regrowth.
Soil erosion and a colder climate
Without trees and shrubs to hold it in place, Iceland's light volcanic soil was exposed to wind and water. Huge areas eroded down to bare gravel and sand, and some of those deserts are still spreading today. Volcanic eruptions added layers of ash, and a long cold period from roughly the 14th to the 19th centuries, often called the Little Ice Age, made it even harder for trees to recover.
The result is the landscape many visitors now think of as typically Icelandic: open, grassy or mossy, and dramatic precisely because there is nothing to block the view. It looks natural, but much of it is the product of human use over more than a thousand years.
How Iceland is bringing its forests back
Iceland has been working to restore woodland for more than a century. The birch remnants at Hallormsstaður in the east were protected in 1905, and the national forestry service was founded in 1908. Fencing out sheep was one of the first and most effective steps, because protected birch woods began regrowing on their own.
Planting accelerated through the 20th century. Foresters tested species from Alaska, Siberia, Norway and elsewhere to find trees that could survive Iceland's wind, short summers and poor soils. Sitka spruce, Siberian larch and lodgepole pine proved successful, while native birch is planted widely for land reclamation. Today, forestry and land restoration are handled by Land and Forest Iceland, a government agency formed in 2024.
The lupine debate
Drive around Iceland in early summer, and you will see whole hillsides turned purple by Nootka lupines. The plant was introduced from Alaska in the 20th century to stabilize eroding soil, and it has been very effective, fixing nitrogen and building up new soil where little else will grow.
It is also controversial. Lupines spread aggressively, smother native heath and moss, and change the character of the landscape. Some Icelanders love them as a symbol of recovery, while others see them as an invasive species. Either way, they are now one of the most photographed sights in the country in June and July.
What is the tallest tree in Iceland?
Iceland's trees are growing taller than at any point in recorded history. In September 2022, a Sitka spruce in a grove near Systrafoss waterfall at Kirkjubæjarklaustur in South Iceland was measured at 30.15 meters, making it the first tree in Iceland known to pass 30 meters. It was planted by local residents around 1949 and was named Iceland's Tree of the Year in 2022.
Thirty meters is modest compared with forests elsewhere, but in a country where most native birch tops out at a few meters, it is a striking milestone. It shows how quickly planted forests can grow when they are protected from grazing.
Where to see forests in Iceland
You do not need to search hard to find trees in Iceland, as long as you know where to look. These are the best forests and woodlands to visit, from the east to the capital.
Hallormsstaðaskógur, East Iceland
Hallormsstaðaskógur, on the shore of Lake Lagarfljót, is generally described as Iceland's largest forest, at around 740 hectares, much of it native birch. It became Iceland's first national forest after its birch woods were protected in 1905, and it is home to an arboretum with dozens of tree species from around the world. Walking trails wind through the forest, and the area is one of the warmest parts of Iceland in summer. The East Iceland tourism board has more on visiting Hallormsstaðaskógur.
The forest sits close to Hengifoss, one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls, which falls about 128 meters past layers of red clay and basalt. A Hengifoss waterfall hike pairs well with a walk in the forest, and both are in the Fljótsdalur valley, where wild reindeer are often seen.
Cruise passengers calling at Seyðisfjörður can also explore the valley on a day out in the Fljótsdalur valley, which visits the historic Skriðuklaustur site and reindeer country nearby.
Vaglaskógur, North Iceland
Vaglaskógur, in the Fnjóskadalur valley about 30 minutes east of Akureyri, is one of the most loved forests in Iceland. Its birch trees grow unusually tall and straight for Icelandic birch, and the forest is popular for camping, walking and picnics in summer. It is often ranked as the country's second-largest forest, at about 300 hectares.
Vaglaskógur is an easy stop on the Ring Road between Akureyri and Goðafoss, and it is beautiful in late August and September, when the birch leaves turn yellow.
Þórsmörk, South Iceland
Þórsmörk, the "valley of Thor," is a green oasis tucked between three glaciers, and its birch woods are one of the best examples of native woodland recovering after grazing was stopped. Trails climb through the birch and up onto ridges with views of glaciers and black river plains.
The valley can only be reached across unbridged glacial rivers, so it is a summer destination for most visitors.
The Þórsmörk valley trek crosses the rivers by super jeep and includes a hike through the canyon of Stakkholtsgjá.
If you plan to hike independently, the seasonal Þórsmörk bus runs into the valley in summer, and it connects with the end of the Laugavegur Trail.
Þingvellir and the Golden Circle
Þingvellir National Park has small birch woods and planted conifer groves around the old farmhouses and church, which turn golden and orange in the fall. The birch scrub growing across the lava fields is a good example of how native woodland looks in Iceland: low, tough and closely tied to the ground.
A Golden Circle day trip from Reykjavík passes through Þingvellir, and on the way, you can see how planted shelterbelts protect farms and greenhouses from the wind.
Forests near Reykjavík
The capital has more trees than most visitors expect. Heiðmörk, a large conservation and recreation area on the edge of the city, is full of planted conifers and birch, with walking and biking trails. Öskjuhlíð, the hill topped by Perlan, is covered in woodland planted in the 20th century, and Reykjavík's older neighborhoods are lined with mature trees in private gardens.
In Akureyri, Kjarnaskógur forest on the edge of town is a popular spot for walking, cross-country skiing and summer picnics.
Iceland's other plants: moss, shrubs and berries
Even where there are no trees, Iceland is far from bare. Thick carpets of moss cover many lava fields, especially in the south, and some of these mosses take decades to grow back if they are trampled, which is why it matters to stay on paths. Lichens paint rocks in shades of orange, yellow and gray.
Low shrubs fill much of the lowland landscape. Dwarf birch, heather, Arctic willow and crowberry hug the ground, and in late summer, many areas turn into berry country. Crowberries and bilberries ripen in August and September, and picking them is a favorite Icelandic pastime. Wildflowers like Arctic thyme, sea thrift and mountain avens, Iceland's national flower, add color from June onward.
When to visit Iceland's forests
Each season gives the forests a different character. In June and July, the birch woods are bright green, the long evenings are perfect for walks, and forest campsites are at their busiest. Late August to late September brings fall color, when birch leaves turn yellow and orange and the low shrubs on the hillsides blaze red.
In winter, snow-covered conifer groves around Reykjavík and Akureyri are lovely for short walks, and Kjarnaskógur in Akureyri grooms trails for cross-country skiing when there is enough snow. Spring is the quietest season, as the trees leaf out late, usually not until late May or early June.
How much of Iceland is forest today?
Roughly 2% of Iceland is covered by forest and woodland, using the national definition. That is far below the European average, but the trend is upward. Since the mid-20th century, a combination of protection, planting and natural regrowth has steadily increased the area of woodland, and Iceland now has more trees than at any time in centuries.
Climate change is also playing a role. Warmer summers are allowing trees to grow faster and at higher elevations, and birch is spreading naturally in some areas where grazing has eased.
Why Iceland is still mostly treeless
Even with all this effort, Iceland will stay mostly open for a long time. Trees grow slowly in the short, cool summers, and the wind dries and damages young plants. Much of the highland interior is too high, cold and barren for forests to grow at all.
Large areas of grazing land and protected landscapes are also deliberately kept open. And many Icelanders value the wide, uninterrupted views as part of their national identity. Restoring woodland is about protecting soil and supporting biodiversity, not covering the entire country in trees.
Why Iceland looks so different from Norway
Visitors arriving from Scandinavia are often surprised by how bare Iceland looks. Norway and Sweden are covered in dense spruce and pine forests, and the Icelandic settlers came from those same landscapes. The difference is mostly history, not climate. Iceland's lowlands could support far more birch woodland than they do today, as protected areas like Þórsmörk and Hallormsstaður show.
Iceland's isolation also played a part. Many tree species common in mainland Europe, including Norway spruce and Scots pine, never reached the island naturally, because seeds could not cross the open ocean. The conifers you see today were all planted, mostly in the last hundred years.
Visiting Iceland's forests responsibly
Icelandic woodland is still fragile, so a little care goes a long way. Stay on marked trails, especially where moss grows on the forest floor, and use designated campsites rather than pitching a tent among the trees. Open fires are restricted in many forests, particularly in dry summers, so check local rules before lighting a camping stove or grill.
Many forests are managed by local forestry associations and Land and Forest Iceland, and some ask visitors to support upkeep through small fees or donations at campsites. Leaving no trace helps protect woods that have taken decades to grow back.
Interesting facts about trees in Iceland
A few more facts that surprise visitors:
Downy birch is the only native tree that forms forests in Iceland
Many Icelandic Christmas trees are now grown in Icelandic forests
The tallest trees in Iceland are planted Sitka spruces, not native species
Rowan trees are common in Reykjavík gardens, and their berries turn bright red in the fall
Frequently asked questions
How many trees are in Iceland?
There is no exact count, but forests and woodlands cover roughly 2% of Iceland's land area, using the national definition. Millions of trees have been planted since the mid-20th century, and the area of woodland is growing every year.
Why are there no trees in Iceland?
Iceland lost most of its trees after settlement in the ninth century. Settlers cleared birch woodland for grazing, fuel and charcoal, and sheep grazing prevented regrowth. Soil erosion, volcanic ash and a colder climate made recovery even harder.
Do trees grow in Iceland?
Yes. Downy birch, rowan and willow grow naturally, and planted species like Sitka spruce, larch and lodgepole pine do well in sheltered areas. Trees grow more slowly than in warmer countries, but some now reach over 30 meters.
What is the largest forest in Iceland?
Hallormsstaðaskógur in East Iceland is generally described as the largest forest, at around 740 hectares. Vaglaskógur near Akureyri is often ranked second, at about 300 hectares.
Was Iceland ever covered in trees?
Not entirely, but much more than today. Researchers estimate that birch woodland covered roughly a quarter of the land when the Norse settlers arrived, mostly in the lowlands. The highlands were never forested.
Why is Iceland green and Greenland icy?
The names are a historical quirk. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has green lowlands, while Greenland is mostly covered by a massive ice sheet. According to the sagas, Erik the Red chose the name Greenland to attract settlers, while Iceland's name may come from a settler who saw drift ice in a fjord.
