[2] The glacial water is also used in distilling Vikingfjord The Jostedal Glacier has a total area of 487 square kilometres (188 sq mi).

The highest point is Høgste Breakulen at 1,957 metres (6,421 ft) above mean sea level.

Branches of the glacier reach down into the valleys, for instance Bøyabreen in Fjærland and Nigardsbreen, both at 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level.

The Jostedalsbreen has around 50 glacier arms such as the Nigardsbreen and Tunsbergdalsbreen in Jostedal, the Briksdalsbreen near Olden, the Bøyabreen by Fjærland, the Kjenndalsbreen, Tindefjellbreen near Loen, and Austerdalsbreen.

More recent measurements now show that Briksdalsbreen retreated 146 metres (479 ft) in 2006, and could be in danger of breaking away from the upper icefield.