The 11-mile Tail of the Dragon features 318 curves along the side of a mountain
When we moved to Blount County, Tennessee and I discovered we had a road known as The Dragon, my interest was piqued.ย What I found was that The Tail of The Dragon โ a section of U.S. 129 โ more than lives up to its name. The Tail of the Dragon is officially Tapoco Road in NC and Calderwood Highway in TN. It stretches the Fugitive Bridge near Robbinsville to Tabcat Bridge in Tennessee. Mostly known as The Dragon, the road offers 318 curves in 11 miles along the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee National Forest. It runs from Blount County in Tennessee to North Carolina.
Without houses with driveways, businesses or intersecting roads, itโs known as possibly one of the best rides in the country for motorcyclists. In fact, it is said to draw more than a quarter-million motorcycle riders each year.ย The Dragon is also popular with sports car enthusiasts.ย At least a couple of movies, such as โThe Fugitiveโ with Harrison Ford and โTwo-Lane Blacktopโ had scenes filmed there. The irony of the situation is The Dragon cuts through some of the most scenic terrains in America.
The stretch of road takes about 30 minutes to cover. There are pull-offs for visitors to stop and take in the scenery. But, in my opinion, it is in no way a road to go sightseeing on. If youโre just sightseeing, youโre probably better off with other options. I recommend Cherohala Skyway about 45 minutes to the South.ย
The Tail of the Dragon is a stretch of road in North Carolina and Tennessee that is famous among daredevils and motorcyclists. It has dozens of blind curves and crests. Many of the roadโs curves even have nicknames. If you plan to ride this dangerous road, make sure you take precautions. For example, avoid riding it at night and make sure you have the proper gear ahead of time.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Is the Tail of the Dragon dangerous?
The speed limit on the Tail of the Dragon is set to 30 mph due to the roadโs many twists and turns. Regardless, it can be quite dangerous. With dozens of blind curves and crests, a moment of distraction can be costly. Add to that the number of riders and drivers who treat The Dragon as their private race track and things can go from idyllic to bad in the blink of an eye.ย
Many of the notorious curves even have nicknames. Some of these are Beginnerโs End, Bust Bend, Shade Tree Corner, Hog Pen Bend, Sunset Corner and Mud Corner. Make no mistake, The Dragon should be taken seriously. For that reason, the Blount County Sheriffโs Office dedicated serious manpower to patrolling the roadway. In addition, they created a website to provide safety tips for The Dragon.ย The site also reminds us that this is a rural area, and medical help is not necessarily nearby.
โRemember when visiting this very unique highway, you are not the only one there. There are many people who have to use this road every day commuting to and from work or are visiting family,โ the site says. โDrive like you would want people to drive on the roads you and your family travel daily. If everyone would do this, there will be far fewer injuries and deaths, and when you see a deputy, you wonโt be leaving with an invitation to return at a later date.โ
Tips for riding The Dragon
If you want to ride along The Dragon, come prepared to respect the road. Here are a handful of tips to help you prepare:
- Gear up: Wear every piece of safety equipment you have. I donโt know that you are statistically more likely to lay your bike down on The Dragon than anywhere else. However, lots of people have lost their lives up there. Be safe.
- Pay attention: Youโre up there to ride, not gawk. So save the leaf-peeping for somewhere else. Follow the speed limit, this is no place for antics. Drive or ride at your skill level. Brake lightly. Stay in your lane.
- Do not ride it at night: This one seems self-explanatory. Also, donโt ride it from November through March. Conditions at higher elevations can change quickly. Many riders have been caught in a rough spot because he/she trusted an off-season weather report.ย
- Get a global satellite GPS messenger: Cell service is non-existent in the mountains. Also, even in a best-case scenario, it can take an hour or more for emergency personnel to reach you in the event of an emergency. The Dragon can be a fun ride, but preparation is key.ย
- Check the tank: The only gas station on The Dragon is at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort located in the North Carolina part of the tail. Of course, itโs also a good idea to check your tire pressure. Fun fact, the resort has a tree decorated with various motorcycle parts lost in crashes on The Dragon. The โTree of Shameโ was started by Harley riders in the 1980s and looks like a Transformer that blew up during a midlife crisis.
Have you ridden The Tail of the Dragon? Let us know in the comments.
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Your advice should be well taken , Iโve road the Dragon many times and seen some really bad thing because people didnโt take that piece of road seriously and paid for it , nice ride just respect it and you will be fine , I hope to be there again next week and looking forward to it and all the other great rids down there. !!!!!
Just seen a half a million dollar Ferrari upside down on the 25th of October. Very dangerous
Coming from Texas to ride the dragon with some buddies. I have rode the dragon before so this will be my second time. Looking forward to it.
We have riden The Tail many times. Our word of advise is if you look in your rearview mirror and see a motorcycle or sports car coming up fast behind, PULL OVER and you might very well save multiple lives!!! In our opinion, amateurs beware !!!
Rode it with my husband September of 2012. Awesome ride. Weโre from Northern Kentucky.
With a Maserati trailing we drove the tail in my Lincoln LS full throttle, full brake. The Maz owner was just shaking his head when we finished at the pull-off on the west end saying; โwas that your first time through there? I have another one of these (the car) back in Baltimore Iโve raced for 10 yearsโ. Still shaking his headโฆ.it was THE most exhilarating drive EVER! Following two motorcycles bent on setting a record. Wow! Extreme fun. Never left the pavement.
I attended this yearโs TAIL OF THE DRAGON RENNSport Porsche Fall Rally 2023. On the first day, I rode as a passenger in the Cayman GTS of one of the group leaders. I grew up in Germany, 50 miles from the Nรผrburgring, spent endless times on the track, and used to race in my earlier days. I think driving the Dragon Tail could not be more complex than racing on the Nรผrburgring. I was very wrong. The way my driver approached the turns with speed, most of the time triple what the road sign read, and ripping the car, I had never experienced before on a racetrack. That adrenaline rush you feel when driving the Dragon Tail is simply addictive.
This stretch of road is not for the faint of heart and you need to pay attention cause we have seen motorcycles go off the road and they were not alive when people went to check on them. Use common sense when you ride on this road is
Hello. I live local about 40 minutes from Tab Cat Bridge. I bought my first Miata in 2012 and was introduced to The Dragon then by my son-in-law from Knoxville whoโs been riding it since he was in high school.
Iโm now in my third Miata and run The Dragon pretty regularly.Love it and all the comradery of the like minded motor heads who gather up there.
One thing Iโll mention is that during the warm weather months [riding season] I NEVER go up there on weekends! Itโs become such a tourist attraction/destination that itโs just too crazy,crowded and the 11 miles more resemble a parade route and crawls like a funeral procession.
I was up there yesterday afternoon [12/8/23] and the entire road was pretty much deserted and I enjoyed an excellent run up and down.
Many want to blame the โRicky Racersโ for the accidents and/or deaths that occur up there.True, there are some certifiable idiots that arrive there and risk their lives and others as well. There are also some very talented drivers/riders that enjoy the melding of man and machine.
If statistics are kept I think youโd find that a very high percentage of the accidents/deaths that have occured are from senior citizen riders on big heavy cruisers that donโt have the needed skills or experience to be on that type of road. And before you go off on me for the senior comment โ Iโll be 73 next month.
Enjoy the ride/drive,stay aware,donโt drive exceeding your abilities and for Godโs sake STAY IN YOUR LANE !
I grew up riding Decker Rd to the beach in So. Cal. so riding โThe Tailโ wasnโt any challenge. The danger is other riders/drivers who cross into lanes to make their turns and take you out, or accelerate over the double yellow lines to pass you (even though youโre 10 MPH+ over the speed limit). Itโs best just to cruise this road, enjoy the scenery and pull over once in a while to take pictures and let the others pass you. Mother nature (wet leaves, deer crossing, muddy corners, ice, etc.) can take you out just as easily as a speed demon intent on their demise on this road.
Stay well clear of the Yellow center line, head-on collisions are almost common.
We had a lot of fun at the Rennsport. I actually like the Cherohala betterโฆ I will see you at the next one.
Living in North Georgia I get a lot of practice on roads such as Richard B Russell Scenic Highway, Wolf pin Gap, Blood Mountainโฆ so while it is a lot of Corners in a short distance I did not find it intimidating. Just manage your ability and your ego and your carโs ability and youโll be fine. Note.. do not do this drive hungover.๐
For sure sounds like you need all your skills up to par
Oh I love this and this road, I literally drive it at least once a month just for something to do. We use to vacation all the time in the Gatlinburg area and decided to move here from Naples FL in 2022. We literally stumbled on Unicoi county. So we purchased a home, packed our family up and left everything myself, my husband and our children have ever known for a place we had never been. Clearly everyone thought we lost our minds. It was the best decision we ever made for ourselves and our family.
We were out riding around one day and wound up on this road by accident. We had never heard of it. Thank the Lord we were in our VW New Beetle. I would have died if weโd been in our truck. There were a lot of people on motorcycles. Most driving well over the speed limit. Our little dog got sick and threw up in the back seat and we werenโt going fast but everybody was whizzing around us and coming towards us at top speed. I didnโt realize until I read the article that it was only eleven miles. I could have sworn it was at least 20. LOL It was an okay experience but not one I would want to experience again.
My very first ride on a motorcycle was with my husband, and it was on the Tail of the Dragon! I was hooked, and we went on to enjoy many miles together on our bike, traveling all around the USA. Now age 84 and 89, our riding days are over,
but certainly have memories never to be forgotten. The Tail of the Dragon will forever be special to me.
I have not driven this road, but I have driven a similar road in AZ โ Hwy 89 from Prescott Valley to Jerome. The sign at the PV end says the road is โ336 curves in 12 milesโ. Add to that the fact that deer and javalinas (wild pigs) roam freely in the area and itโs a chore to run it. From this description, it seems like the Devilโs Tail is just like the one in AZ (That road doesnโt have a descriptive name that I am aware of).
I was skeptical, hearing all the horror stories. I finally rode it in 2024 on a Harley Ultra classic. Ride was nice, easy to do by following the rules of the road, on close encounter was a rider going the same way and acting like an idiot passing on curves.