Kerid is an old volcanic crater, which is relatively close to Reykjavik.
It last erupted thousands of years ago, so you are safe visiting.
It is a popular stopping off point on the golden circle route. There is a network of roads as one leaves Reykjavik which will take you to different locations.
One loop takes you out and past the crater of Kerid.
For some time this was free of charge, but around 2015, a car park was constructed and an admission fee started to be charged. This is 400 Icelandic Kroner (ISK) per person - less for young people / groups.
One interesting story related to Kerid was that Bjork apparently performed a concert inside the crater on a floating stage. I've been looking to try to find some images of this and wonde whether it actually happened as there aren't many actual details other than people saying that it did happen...
The crater Kerið was formed about 6,500 years ago and lies at the northern end of a row of craters known as Tjarnarhólar. It is oval, about 270 m long, 170 m wide and 55 m deep: the depth of the water at the bottom varies between 7 and 14 m. According to an old tradition, a rise in the water level here is accompanied by a corresponding fall in the pond on Búrfell in Grímsnes and vice versa. Kerið lies in the Iceland´s Western Volcanic Zone, which runs through the Reykjanes peninsula and the glacier Langjökull. Traces of volcanism are not very obvious, since most of the eruption sites are low-lying and many of the craters are hidden by vegetation, but three craters in the Grímsnes area are clearly discernable and well-known features: Kerið, Seyðishólar and Kerhóll
When I last visited, all visitors were provided with a small leaflet explaining the background to the crater.
Details from the Guide to Iceland website.
Kerið is approximately three thousand years old, making it roughly half the age of most volcanic calderas found in Iceland. This is the major reason as to why Kerið’s slopes are red in colour, rather than a volcanic black; the iron deposits are, geologically speaking, fresh.
This vivid redness is part of the appeal of visiting this crater. The crimson rocks contrast dramatically with their surroundings, particularly the intense azure colour of the waters within the crater lake, and the verdant bursts of vegetation.
Kerið is approximately 55 metres (180 feet) deep, 170 metres (558 feet) wide and 270 meters (886 feet) in circumference. It is possible to take a path right to the crater’s edge, to fully encircle it, and to descend down to the pristine waters of the crater lake.
Image: Alan Parkinson, taken on a visit in 2015
It last erupted thousands of years ago, so you are safe visiting.
It is a popular stopping off point on the golden circle route. There is a network of roads as one leaves Reykjavik which will take you to different locations.
One loop takes you out and past the crater of Kerid.
For some time this was free of charge, but around 2015, a car park was constructed and an admission fee started to be charged. This is 400 Icelandic Kroner (ISK) per person - less for young people / groups.
One interesting story related to Kerid was that Bjork apparently performed a concert inside the crater on a floating stage. I've been looking to try to find some images of this and wonde whether it actually happened as there aren't many actual details other than people saying that it did happen...
The crater Kerið was formed about 6,500 years ago and lies at the northern end of a row of craters known as Tjarnarhólar. It is oval, about 270 m long, 170 m wide and 55 m deep: the depth of the water at the bottom varies between 7 and 14 m. According to an old tradition, a rise in the water level here is accompanied by a corresponding fall in the pond on Búrfell in Grímsnes and vice versa. Kerið lies in the Iceland´s Western Volcanic Zone, which runs through the Reykjanes peninsula and the glacier Langjökull. Traces of volcanism are not very obvious, since most of the eruption sites are low-lying and many of the craters are hidden by vegetation, but three craters in the Grímsnes area are clearly discernable and well-known features: Kerið, Seyðishólar and Kerhóll
When I last visited, all visitors were provided with a small leaflet explaining the background to the crater.
Details from the Guide to Iceland website.
Kerið is approximately three thousand years old, making it roughly half the age of most volcanic calderas found in Iceland. This is the major reason as to why Kerið’s slopes are red in colour, rather than a volcanic black; the iron deposits are, geologically speaking, fresh.
This vivid redness is part of the appeal of visiting this crater. The crimson rocks contrast dramatically with their surroundings, particularly the intense azure colour of the waters within the crater lake, and the verdant bursts of vegetation.
Kerið is approximately 55 metres (180 feet) deep, 170 metres (558 feet) wide and 270 meters (886 feet) in circumference. It is possible to take a path right to the crater’s edge, to fully encircle it, and to descend down to the pristine waters of the crater lake.
Image: Alan Parkinson, taken on a visit in 2015
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