Grootrivier Pass is a mountain pass situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa on the R102 regional road.
The Grootrivier (Afrikaans for "Great River") is one of various mountain streams that over millions of years have cut through the coastal plateau towards the sea.
The R102 winds its way from the N2 on the coastal plateau at 220m altitude, through dense coastal forest, down to the resort of Nature's Valley on the Grootrivier and then climbs the opposite slope, back to the plateau. The pass was finished in 1880 by Thomas Bain and major reconstruction was carried out on both sections in 2010. The route from plateau down to sea-level and then back to the plateau, was dictated by the wide and deep gorge carved by the Grootrivier and stretching inland to the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Modern bridge-building techniques spanned the three gorges of the Grootrivier, the Bloukrans River and the Storms River, allowing the opening of the freeway in June 1984. The forest is home to a myriad of bird species as well as small antelope, vervet monkeys, baboons and leopards. The road features various viewpoints and picnic spots. 
Before the establishment of the Garden Route section of South Africa's N2 highway a small secondary road (R102), snaking its way through the area's valleys and gorges, provided the only access into South Africa's "Garden of Eden". When the R102 was built its engineers did not have the luxury of today's huge concrete-arch bridges and thus the route descends into gorges rather than jumping across them. If you have time, diverting from the N2 onto the R102 makes for a very scenic and quiet detour. On the Garden Route the best sections of the R102 are those incorporating the Bloukrans River Pass and Grootrivier Pass.
If you are doing a self-drive tour it is advisable that you enquire about the state of the roads from locals before venturing onto them.
The Grootrivier (Afrikaans for "Great River") is one of various mountain streams that has cut a path through the coastal plateau towards the ocean over millions of years. Driving along the N2 you probably won't notice crossing the Grootrivier Gorge. 
However, following the Grootrivier Pass (R102) will unlock for you one of the most beautiful coastal forests and shorelines on the whole of the Garden Route. The Pass winds its way from the N2 on the coastal plateau down to the small village of Nature's Valley. Along the route you will look down onto, and pass through, dense coastal forest. The forest is alive with birdlife as well as small antelope, vervet monkeys and baboons. The road features various viewpoints and picnic spots.
The western end of the Pass is located very close to Monkeyland - another popular attraction on the Garden Route.
