Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap with 318 curves in 11 miles: America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. Designated US 129, the road is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest with no intersecting roads or driveways to hamper your travel. It is considered "the destination" for thousands of motorcycle and sports car fans throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Can you brave it? It's best to be cautious as the turns are tight, but the Tail of the Dragon is guaranteed to be the ride of your life. The nearby Cherohala Skyway is quickly becoming a destination too, with its remote 60 miles of breathtaking scenic mountain highway.
Can you brave it? It's best to be cautious as the turns are tight, but the Tail of the Dragon is guaranteed to be the ride of your life. The nearby Cherohala Skyway is quickly becoming a destination too, with its remote 60 miles of breathtaking scenic mountain highway.
Services
Contact Us to get your event listed on the calendar. Tail of the Dragon is available to help your group with free stickers and custom metal signs. Visit Bring Your Group for more information and samples. Contact Killboy.com for group photos. NOTICE: The Tail of the Dragon is US 129, a US Highway which is always open to anyone unless there is an accident or some danger which requires closing of the road.
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.
Next week the forecast is for rain nearly every day. This is a typical summer weather pattern which brings widely scattered rain to the area in the afternoons. Notice the forecast is usually less than 50% which means many areas will not get the short lived thunderstorms. Plan on touring in the morning with a.
It is now illegal for trucks longer than 30 feet to operate on the Tail of the Dragon. However, it is not uncommon to see trucks that are either lost or using US129 as a shortcut. Read the history of this long battle to ban trucks on the Tail of the Dragon. Trucks are usually traveling slow allowing you time to take precautions.
It has taken 15 years, numerous accidents, close calls, and a motorcyclist death to finally get the Late Great State of Tennessee to ban trucks on this stretch of highway. Dragon lover Dwight "Ike" Woodward was killed by a semi truck at mile marker 6 in 2011. His needless death was not in vain as it resulted in the State of Tennessee finally banning these vehicles from the famed roadway.
Reviews (21)
Christopher Estep
Dec 16, 2021
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Hands down the best driving experience I have ever had. 318 curves in 11 miles and the roads afterwards are very scenic. Majority of the people there are automotive enthusiasts. You just have to drive carefully, some people dangerously drive over the yellow lines and do not use the pull-offs that can cause deadly accidents. The TOTD is extremely fun but should not be treated as a race-track, it is a public road.
Shawn Stiner
Nov 02, 2021
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The Tail of the Dragon is a World famous road that people truly travel great distances just to be able to experience the twisty views and amazing views. On any give day you will see, motor cycles of every make and model, sports cars and vintage cars as well as some 1 of a kind super cars. You will see people from all walks of life, all enjoying their time on the Tail of the Dragon!!! In the summer and Fall, mid week the crowds are a bit less, the weekends are packed and so much fun!!!
Harry C.
Oct 29, 2021
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This is an absolutely insane drive. At one point I felt like there were a hundred daredevil motorcyclists, a hundred more sport car club speedsters and me in my Honda pilot. Not too many pullouts but I used every one that I could to keep from impeding traffic any more than I already was. I was traveling 10 mph over the speed limit which felt comfortable to me. The scenery was beautiful for the few seconds at a time that my eyes weren't focused on the next curve ahead. Cudos to those brave souls. I hope they all survived.
Derick Kulpinski
Oct 16, 2021
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Absolutely beautiful ride. A good ride and a challenge all in one ride. Planned on eating at the dragon den, was disappointed when we got there at 7 pm and they were closed. Besides that another great ride. a friend went with for the first time and she was stunned in amazement with all the beautiful scenery we were up at the lookout while the sun was setting. The view was so beautiful it was hard to believe it was real it looked like a painting from someone imagination we seen some wild life when we got to deals gap we were disappointed the dragon den was closed we still had a great time went to
Rod Bending
Oct 13, 2021
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Wild Marks
Sep 28, 2021
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Michael Noerr
Aug 26, 2021
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Very interesting drive. The route itself has several picturesque locations to stop and just take in the countryside. Unfortunately, there are several little car clubs that think this is a race course, so you have to be careful pulling off and back on the road. The shop itself is nice as is the local area around it. Really cool seeing all the parts they collected over the years.
Theresa Lutz
Aug 23, 2021
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Christine Divan
Aug 18, 2021
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Okay, so no joke, this is one hell of a ride, and requires some skill. I have been on a Harley for over ten years, and this 11 miles tested me to my core. 318 turns. It was exhilarating! It's dangerous too, one rider was down before we went through, so go easy.
Good food, nice store, lots of souvenirs!
Good food, nice store, lots of souvenirs!
Larry Hampton
Jul 16, 2021
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Jay M.
Nov 24, 2019
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What a great ride! The road is technical with turns running into elevation changes. One if not the funnest road we've ridden. Overall the road was in good condition, but there was one spot in the road on a turn, so look out. The only negative are the ones trying to ride past their limits. And the store tells their story as does the tree of shame.
Lori H.
Oct 18, 2019
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We really enjoyed this scenic drive! We're here on vacation and rented a full size Chevy Silverado truck, and after reading the reviews, I was a little hesitant. My husband did some research online and found more helpful information regarding the drive with a pickup truck.
This 11 mile, 318 turns road is quite beautiful, especially in the Fall. As long as you watch the speed limit signs, you'll be fine. Just take your time and enjoy the views! Also, be sure to use the pull-outs and let faster drivers pass.
We took this stretch of road around 5pm on a Thursday and didn't see much
This 11 mile, 318 turns road is quite beautiful, especially in the Fall. As long as you watch the speed limit signs, you'll be fine. Just take your time and enjoy the views! Also, be sure to use the pull-outs and let faster drivers pass.
We took this stretch of road around 5pm on a Thursday and didn't see much
Billy L.
Sep 24, 2019
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I have to give you some background on my experience. I live in Michigan and I am a clogger (dancer). A year ago some friends were told about a great clogging workshop in Fontana Dam, North Carolina - a little over a 10 hour drive for us. So 6 of us were going and there were more friends who had been to this workshop in previous years and loved it. We signed up, paid our money and waited a year. About a month before our trip one of the friends says "by the way - there is an 11 mile stretch of road called The Tail of the Dragon and it is one of the most dangerous roads in the US and many
John L.
Aug 26, 2019
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Rebecca N.
Aug 09, 2019
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I will tell you this is the scariest moment in my entire life! 318 curves in 11 miles. I saw cars with Go Pros attached to the roofs of their cars, to motorcycles and thank God I saw no trucks. No way a truck could make it through there. Heaven forbid if the GPS sent a truck that way. I actually have heard that this did happen a few times. They do have pull off sections to stop and rest or to get out of the way of someone behind you that wants to pass. I started at the top and went down. I stopped off at the store halfway down. The store is seasonal. They close in snowy weather. I bought a tee
Joee L.
May 06, 2019
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I was in town for minis on the dragon and avoided the dragon until the mini parade on the dragon.
I was afraid there would be steep drop offs. There might have been but you couldn't really tell with the trees. Other areas had guard rails.
We paraded around 8 am on a Friday and there wasn't much other traffic than us. I had my dog with me and she was flung back and forth a LOT. I'm actually incredibly surprised she didn't puke back there.
There's a scenic stop that I recommend getting a picture of your car at.
On the way back I waited for everyone else to go back
I was afraid there would be steep drop offs. There might have been but you couldn't really tell with the trees. Other areas had guard rails.
We paraded around 8 am on a Friday and there wasn't much other traffic than us. I had my dog with me and she was flung back and forth a LOT. I'm actually incredibly surprised she didn't puke back there.
There's a scenic stop that I recommend getting a picture of your car at.
On the way back I waited for everyone else to go back
James B.
Sep 15, 2018
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Teresa W.
Apr 07, 2018
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We drove this 312 turns in 11 miles ride in a Toyota Prius. Was a beautiful scenic drive took us a while the speed limit is very slow as you can imagine it's very steep and curvy we loved the awesome views it was like a roller coaster with all the curves. Winding and curvy and gorgeous. Most all driving this was driving the speed limit which basically ranged from 30 to 10 miles per hour only a few were driving crazy. There are tourist shops at both ends of the tail of the dragon drive..
Kristina M.
Jun 05, 2016
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318 Curves and 11 Miles of Road!
On our drive back to Tennessee we decided to drive the Tail of The dragon. It was something my husband had wanted to do and since he just did some work on his car we figure it would be cool.
Well cool is an understatement. Now I understand why it is America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. The ride definitely feel like a rollercoaster. Those curves wow they are no joke.
Overall, it is something to try. I would go back and ride in on a motorcycle.
On our drive back to Tennessee we decided to drive the Tail of The dragon. It was something my husband had wanted to do and since he just did some work on his car we figure it would be cool.
Well cool is an understatement. Now I understand why it is America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. The ride definitely feel like a rollercoaster. Those curves wow they are no joke.
Overall, it is something to try. I would go back and ride in on a motorcycle.
Chris M.
Dec 09, 2015
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We were here in the December so everything was closed and we literally had the entire dragon to ourselves. Did not pass one car. Enjoyed it and would run it again. We did it in a 2015 Mustang I bought a few days before. Rode with the top down and the weather was great so that was fun. I will say that I think I enjoyed some of the other roads a bit more. The Mustang is a bit heavy and sort of a cruiser so the faster turns of say 215 were a bit more fun. I would love to do this road on a bike though. We did see a black bear not too far from the start of the road which was cool.
Lori W.
Apr 22, 2015
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We ran this road in the summer and fall of 2014. It has ALOT of turns and beautiful scenery.
We took our huskys with us and took several awesome photos up there as the leaves were turning.
It is a beautiful drive. Highly recommended.
Be careful in the summer as there are lots of "Crazy and fast" motorcycles up there trying to be on the Furious 7 movie....had one go over the double line, several of them pass us when we went. Almost a head on collision.
Be careful.
Highly recommended.
(See pictures above)
We took our huskys with us and took several awesome photos up there as the leaves were turning.
It is a beautiful drive. Highly recommended.
Be careful in the summer as there are lots of "Crazy and fast" motorcycles up there trying to be on the Furious 7 movie....had one go over the double line, several of them pass us when we went. Almost a head on collision.
Be careful.
Highly recommended.
(See pictures above)
