The Tail of The Dragon

If anyone is looking for the ride of your life, highway 129 on the tennessee and north carolina boarder is it. It's an 11 mile streatch with 318 curves. Lose your consentration for a split second and your covered with road rash. Not only is the road a fun ride but its also unpatrolled and beautiful through the smokey mountains. After the dragon there is a great ride through the mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Sounds like the rider of your life! Thanks for posting about it.

The Tail of the Dragon is also known as Deals Gap . I've ridden it and it is a wonderful road. It isn't unpatrolled, but it is a blast.
If you want to see maps and pics go to http://www.tailofthedragon.com/index.html

Is this on the way from Franklin to cades cove. if so I my have been there.My Dad has aplace in Franklin.NC. Gumbo!

Deals Gap is a great place to go. But be warned..it IS patrolled....I have been several times and got ticketed every time!

However, its basically a money maker for the local authorities. So dont worry about points going against your liscence when ticketed...at least none of mine went on my record....just pay the fine and go!

LOL.....I will warn you that it is geared toward sportbike enthusiests like myself....if you plan on going to lazily ride the twisties...plan on getting your arse ran over by 150mph rice burners!

LOL :D

here is a good link for those interested

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

Hiway 28 south off 441 in Frankiln NC. is one hell of a ride. 4 nice water falls along this road 1 you can stop at an walk around behind, another you can ride behind.It's a fun ride down to the state line then come back to Franklin. We stayed at a campground
on the Little Tenassee river. Great weekend.

Hiway 28 south off 441 in Frankiln NC. is one hell of a ride. 4 nice water falls along this road 1 you can stop at an walk around behind, another you can ride behind.It's a fun ride down to the state line then come back to Franklin. We stayed at a campground
on the Little Tenassee river. Great weekend.

Hey I know this is old Rick, but did you guys happen to see the group we hung out with back in 1992? The one's that call us flatlanders and they build a far to stay warm and they fry cabbage?

Yeah, that is one heck of a place. I've been about 10 or 12 times over last couple of years.
I like sitting in front of the Motel/Motorcycle Resort
store at the intersection of Nc28 and NC129 and just watching what comes in. On Saturdays and Sundays in the warmer month it is crowded but interesting.
I am not a hard charger. I try to stay within 1 1/2 foot of the white line for 2 reasons. (1) to avoid lane crossers coming the other way (they do it a lot...cars and motorcycles.) (2) so that the hard chargers can get by. I keep one eye on the mirror
and as soon as a bike comes up behind me I waive it around me. Seems to keep everybody happy.

I've done Deals Gap on a Mazda Miata Rally but never on two wheels. It is fun on 4 wheels but I guarantee it is a hell of a ride on 2

I am moving the last Thursday in July to Maryville TN which is where The Dragon ends at TN 129 and 411. I rode part of The Dragon in March when I was there. It is a great ride. I know the waterfall over by Franklin that you can walk behind as I was there about a Year and a Half ago. I'll be heading up to Maryville the last Thursday of April to look for some property, my partners and I are opening up a Motorcycle/ATV Campground and will be running some tours through the area and Both those runs will be on the list.

..."plan on getting your arse ran over by 150mph rice burners!"

If you speed or race, you’re taking your life and everyone else’s lives into your hands. Someone could very easily cause five deaths in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on spur road US441. Police and the Park currently have all the information needed on the red Nissan 240 SX two-door coupe, with custom taillight treatment, a large flared exhaust, and text or graphics on the sides relating to high-performance auto parts, the other car in the drag race. Those with information about the accident may call the Park’s Communication Center at (865) 436-1230. The speed limit on US129 has been lowered to 30MPH.

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/calendar.html

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/maps_directions_gatlinburg.html

http://www.wheelersperformance.com/

I saw a warning on this web site http://bikersmag.com/html/north_carolina_bikers.html
that someone was deliberatly putting oil on the roadway there causing wrecks. This site refers you to another site for info, but I was unable to find any more about it. Has anyone heard this or is this just a rumor?

http://tailofthedragon.com/news.html

May 8, Sunday: South bound lane with 5 (new) deliberate oil spots on the dragon, TN DOT spread sand. Law Enforcement has a good lead on a suspect. Three cycle LEO's on the Dragon today, they were pretty upset about the oil spills. Road should be in good shape Monday. Quiet day on the Dragon, no serious incidents other than the oil spills. We heard that Chevrolet was on the Dragon last week filming a new ad. They had the original Chevy from Two Lane Blacktop filmed on the Dragon in 1972. We would love to have some photos if anyone has any. We are taking pledges for the reward offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons who oiled the road ... currently $750.

http://tailofthedragon.com/legends.html

That's insane! We hope ya get them.

Thanks for the update.

Well I sure hope they get the jerk that is responsible. There's enough obstacles out there to worry about without some moron purposely making the roads more dangerous.

The pavement isn't the sacred part of that area for me. I am not going to prision over some idiot who has no respect for life. The story is contention over scared livestock from speeders. He is too cheap to fix his own fence. He is just as bad as idiots crossing lanes on blind double yellow curves. See the bottom picture.

http://tailofthedragon.com/dragon_howtoride.html

Beautiful run if ever i've been on one. Stayed at Fontana Village in N.C. and had the time of my life with 77 other scoots in our club.

Sounds like a good time. How was the weather?

I went down the dragon in July w/ a group from another forum, and we had an absolute blast the entire week. If you wanna put yourself to the test and see what you and your bike can really do, then you have to ride the dragon. 318 curves in 11 miles, yeah there is nothing like it in the world.

Plus there are a ton of other great roads and routes to ride down there as well..the Cherohala Skyware, Blueridge Parkway, Rt 28, all good stuff !