Previously we took you on a virtual trip by way of a blog post about riding in The Foothills of Eastern Tennessee. We’re heading a little further east in this feature, into The Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Taking The Foothills Parkway south you’ll find its southern terminus at US Route 129. Those who have traveled in this area may recognize that numbered road immediately as the renowned “Tail of the Dragon”; a route that boasts 318 sweeping curves, hairpin turns and wicked switchbacks in an 11 mile stretch. The hype over this road has grown immensely over the past ten years to where it has earned “legendary” status as a go-to, must-ride destination for motorcyclists. But does it deserve that lofty distinction? Is it really that great of a ride?
Well…if you’re in the area you gotta’ go for a burn on it. Because it’s there. Kind of like the Mt. Everest cliché. I’ve seen a lot of posts on social media from people who consider “The Dragon” to be one of their bucket list rides. So be it, but don’t go 500 miles out of your way to ride those short 11 miles. There are so many equal, or better, roads to ride out there that don’t have “The Dragon’s” drawbacks. If you’ve got your heart set on becoming a Dragon Slayer I hope this feature will provide you with some good insights.
If there is any advice I can offer to someone taking on a technically demanding road like “the Dragon” for the first time it would be to simply “Ride your own ride”. No need to set any speed records. Pay attention to what you’re doing. Allow faster riders to pass (there are plenty of pull outs to facilitate this courtesy) and arrive safely at the end. Make no mistake: this is not a road for a novice motorcyclist, but it is not as dangerous as a lot of people will make you believe. I’ve ridden a lot worse. “The Dragon” is relatively flat, beautifully paved, well-maintained, well-patrolled and has very few off camber turns.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been apprehensive about taking on “The Dragon” the first time, especially because I did so “two up” with my girlfriend on the back of a heavyweight Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic®; fully-loaded with all of our gear for the two week long road trip we were on. Starting at the Calderwood Lake overlook we headed west to east (from Tennessee to North Carolina) taking it real easy…cautiously…and safely arrived at the end. We didn’t set any speed records; that’s for sure, but we made it and stopped at Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort, located at the east end of “The Dragon” to purchase the requisite T-Shirts to proudly wear back home.
My second trip on “The Dragon” was 10 years later. Again traveling west to east I was alone this time and aboard my BMW sport touring bike; a machine that is much more appropriate for “spirited” rides on a road like this. No stopwatch was set for either of my passes on “The Dragon” but I’m sure I covered those 11 miles on the BMW® almost twice as fast as I did on the overloaded Harley®. The downside of this pass: It was on Sunday and it was crowded.
“The Dragon” is no longer just a motorcyclist’s destination. The route was also being enjoyed that day by lots of sports cars, including some real exotics…Ferraris, McLarens, Lamborghinis and Porsches aplenty. Also on US129 that day was a strong law enforcement presence; not what the real speed demons want to see. Along with “The Dragon’s” notoriety has come the inevitable increase in patrolling; for safety certainly, but I’m sure the volume of speeding violations cited there creates a great local revenue stream as well.
If you decide to ride the infamous “Dragon” be sure to stop at The Tapoco Lodge and Resort, located about 2-1/2 miles east of Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort (the place where you too will probably purchase your bragging rights T-Shirt). The Tapoco Lodge sits alongside The Cheoah River and provides an absolutely sublime spot for lunch. I went with the house cheeseburger and even broke my “no carb” eating routine to enjoy their sweet potato fries. Those sweet morsels alone are excuse enough for me to return to the area again.
Looking for a real challenge? Leaving The Tapoco Lodge and Resort turn east onto Meadow Branch Road (NC Route 1247) and follow it to Rhymers Ferry Road (NC Route 1246). By the time you reach Fontana Village Resort and Marina, just 9 miles later, you’ll want to get off your bike and kiss the ground. Those last 9 miles make “The Dragon” look like child’s play! Be prepared for uphill and downhill, impossibly tight, first gear switchbacks, up and down the side of a mountain; on a road barely a lane and a half wide with no shoulder, no guardrails and steep, deadly drop-offs on both sides. Please…DO NOT attempt this route unless you are a highly skilled experienced rider!
After waiting ten years between my first two rides on “The Dragon” my third came just one day later. I had met some friends from New York in North Carolina for a couple of days of riding in The Smokies. Guess what they wanted to do that day? Yep…ride “The Dragon”. This time I was heading east to west which, in my opinion, is a little bit easier than the opposite. It’s more or an uphill ride in the westerly direction, a characteristic that tends to be more comfortable for most riders. Keep that little tidbit in mind if you’re heading to “The Dragon” for the first time and second-guessing your skills at all.
Final thoughts: Go for it…if for no other reason than the bragging rights. Are there more difficult roads to ride? For certain. I mentioned one of them above. In my previous Foothills of Tennessee post I told you about Little River Gorge Road, which is probably as technically challenging as “The Dragon” with the added threat of being beautifully, and thus distractingly, scenic. “The Dragon” is just a ride in the woods with no overwhelming scenery to divert your attention. At the very least you’ll have your “hero” story to tell your friends back home and online, you Dragon Slayer you!
Have you ridden “The Dragon”? Your thoughts? Got any other favorite awesome technical roads you want to share with everyone? Leave a comment below and be sure to subscribe to Roadcraft USA. Ride safe, everyone.
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Definitely overhyped. We are kiwis who thought we’d better ride it in 2019. You guys have way better roads elsewhere and we found because of traffic we couldn’t even get in a nice cruise mode. Technically very straightforward but we are used to our NZ roads which are 95% curvy, 1 lane either direction and that’s our main state highway!