12/16/2023
Did you know …
Tail of the Dragon Details:
Beginning at Deals Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line is the Tail of the Dragon. It is considered by many as one of the world's foremost motorcycling and sports car touring roads. Anyone looking for an exciting highway will enjoy this 11-mile stretch of US 129.The Dragon is desolate and can be a real adventure in the winter months. We've had to deal with bears, turkeys, deer, and wild boars in the road, trees down, ice/snow, and tractor-trailers taking up both lanes in the curves. It is not a road for the squeamish, but if you're looking for a lot of excitement, don't miss this one. NOTE: Tennessee and North Carolina have banned 18-wheelers from this highway, but that doesn't mean you won't meet one sneaking through.
We've been driving the Tail of the Dragon since 1975. At first it was in the family car, then in our 1976 Corvette for many years. Then we graduated to motorcycles and a Mustang GT that we used to take Larry the Cable Guy for a few runs.
We have always loved this piece of asphalt, finding it a thrill in whatever we happen to be riding or driving. One of our most exciting runs was on icy roads in our Expedition with 4-wheel drive engaged. One day we crossed in a snow storm riding two-up on our FJR in freezing temperatures. That was tense.
In the summers we now drive the Dragon several days a week. It's better than any roller coaster we've ever been on. Our favorite sections are the Hump, the Esses just before Cattail Straight, and the Dips. Be ready to scrape your footpegs in some of these wild curves.
Beware .... it is not a road to sight-see on. The attraction is the road itself, not the scenery. No need to look at the wooded roadside when the curves are coming at you rapid fire. And the curves are what you should be concerned with.
To some the Dragon begins on the North Carolina side at Fugitive Bridge with a view of the Cheoah Dam where Harrison Ford jumped from in the movie The Fugitive. The dam and old single lane bridge were also in the 1971 movie Two Lane Blacktop that has become a cult classic.
US 129 then climbs through The Slide, a steep series of "S" curves where one would not want to meet a tractor-trailer. The road then levels and slightly straightens until a series of curves approaching the intersection of Moonshiner28, another great road in itself.
Take a break and stop at our Tail of the Dragon store. Just look for the Big Metal Dragon. We are located at the intersection of US 129 and NC 28.
Next comes Deals Gap and the Tennessee State Line where the real action begins. We'll leave the rest for you to describe after you try it. Many just remember curve after curve after curve and surviving the run of their lives with a hoot and a big smile on their face. The Dragon ends 11 miles across the mountain in Tennessee at Tabcat Creek Bridge. The North Carolina locals who use it frequently call it "that damn road to Tennessee" or "The Robbinsville Turnpike".
This is a very special and unique highway. There are no intersecting roads, no houses with driveways and no businesses. Each and every curve is different. There is very little elevation change. And many of the curves are banked like a race track. Watch out for a few twists that are off-camber and several that are decreasing radius curves.
After riding many other twisty roads, we always come home to the Dragon and rate it the most fun of them all.
Keep reading here: https://tailofthedragon.com/details/
