Outeniqua Mountains, Western Cape · South Africa
Prince Alfred's Pass
R339Knysna to Avontuur
South Africa’s longest publicly accessible mountain pass at 68.5 km, a Thomas Bain masterpiece of 1867 crossing the Outeniqua Mountains from the Garden Route coast to the Klein Karoo.
From the N2 east of Knysna the R339 climbs into dense Afromontane forest, gaining 844 m to a 1,035 m summit before descending to Avontuur in the Klein Karoo. Bain’s dry-stone retaining walls survive throughout; the lower forest section passes the Valley of Ferns, the upper opens into mountain fynbos with long Langkloof views, with De Vlugt a natural midpoint. Speeds rarely exceed 40 km/h on the corrugated gravel.
Scenery
Best seasons
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Prince Alfred’s Pass on the map42.4 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 38Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%192.4 – 1,040 mPoints of interest3 stops
- Prince Alfred’s PassViewpoint39 mi in
- SpitskopViewpoint15 mi in
- Calling the HerdLandmark20 mi in
Hazards
- Gravel throughout, corrugated with potholes
- Numerous blind hairpin bends
- Single-lane sections needing reversing to pass
- Seven river crossings that flood after rain
- No mobile reception for most of the route
- No fuel for 68 km
Sources
“At 68.5 km it is the longest publicly accessible mountain pass in South Africa by a considerable margin.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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