Tail of the Dragon: America’s most exciting riding route.

Twists, turns, and thick woods... This drive isn’t about scenic overlooks and nature’s majesty.  Tail of the Dragon is about you, the pavement, and two hands of white knuckles around a steering wheel.  That is why this stretch of road is considered one of the most exciting drives in America.  

Designated U.S. 129, the Dragon’s Tail winds through 318 curves, some of them hairpin in 11 miles.  A favorite with motorcyclists and sports car drivers, the road is no place for big trucks or stretch limos. The route skirts the southwest border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park starting at the North Carolina/Tennessee border and ending at Chilhowee Lake in Tennessee.  The road may entice you to drive fast, but exercise extreme caution.   Someone dies almost every year riding the Dragon. Motorcycle parts dangle from the “Tree of Shame,” a monument to bikers who have lost their lives.

Tailofthedragon.com warns riders and drivers of the perils that await them on the Tail of the Dragon:

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.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.