Poster Gullfoss, Golden Waterfall, Iceland

"Gullfoss, Golden Waterfall, Iceland" by Catherine Sherman. The third tier of Gullfoss (Golden Falls) plunges into a crevice, one of the most popular sights in Iceland's Golden Circle. The wide Olfusa River flows into a wide curved three-step "staircase" and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 meters or 36 feet, and 21 meters or 69 feet) into a crevice 32 meters (105 feet) deep. The crevice, about 20 meters (66 feet) wide and 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running down the waterfall is 140 cubic meters (4,900 cubic feet) per second in the summer and 80 cubic meters (2,800 cubic feet) per second in the winter. Until visitors reach the edge overlooking the falls, it appears that the river simply vanishes into the earth. Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park and the geysers of Haukadalur are two other main sites in the Golden Circle.