Directions to Salt River Mouth

This trail is in Nature’s Valley, which is 30 kilometres east of Plettenberg Bay. Take the N2 from Plett, and then, just before you reach the toll gate, turn right onto the R102. Travel about 11.5 kilometres to the Grootrivier and De Vasselot Camp site.

The Salt River Mouth trail starts from the picnic site.

Start

From the picnic site, start with your back to the tar road and duck underneath the boom across the track, Walk a short distance to the point where the road forks, and take the left fork.

End

Nature’s Valley village, by the short boardwalk that emerges near the shop.

Distance

5 kilometres

Duration

2 hours

Rating

Easy (mostly downhill)

Permit

Obtain a free permit and a pamphlet from the office at the gate of De Vasselot Camp Site

Features

Fynbos, coastal forest, beach, estuary.

Take With

You will need the following:

• sunglasses,
• good walking shoes,
• insect repellent,
• refreshments and water,
• camera,
• binoculars

Please Note

There are sections of this trail where you might need to clamber a short way up into some bush, where a path leads over a shoulder and back down to some rocks. Railings and steps have recently been constructed over the more difficult sections of this path.

Description

After taking the left fork from the track starting from the picnic site, walk for about half an hour until you find yourself on a saddle with the sea below to your left. Here you will find another turnoof to the left, which goes to the view point above the village. There are some great sea views and photo opportunities here.

The saddle will eventually give way to a fairly sharp drop through the coastal bush, down to the Salt River estuary, but the path is well-maintained with log steps. You will emerge on the sandy river bank, where, if you’re a birder, keep a look out for some of the area’s amazing estuarine birdlife.

From here you can choose to wander along the beach, or to take a shortcut through the bush to reach the rocks on the eastern side of the river mouth. Once you reach the main beach near the village, you can continue along it to the mouth of the Grootrivier, or walk along the tar road. If you can’t find the bush path that joins the road near the shop, just keep walking along the edge of the bush until you see the boardwalk that emerges near the shop.

Highlights

Some of the special features to look out for on this hike:

• This trail is very rich in wildlife – watch out for spoor of bush pig and bush buck, cape clawless otter, and many birds, including white heron, kingfishers and fish eagles.
• Impressive flora that includes very old, tall fynbos such as 30+ year-old Proteas, and statuesque forest species like Candlewood, False Saffron and Keur.