// scenic road
Tail of the Dragon
318 curves in 11 miles. The legendary US-129 stretch across the NC/TN border.
- Category
- scenic road
- Region
- north carolina
- Latitude
- 35.4640
- Longitude
- -83.9170
The Tail of the Dragon is arguably the most famous motorcycle road in America. 318 curves packed into 11 miles of US Route 129 across the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, with no intersecting roads and almost no driveways — just pure asphalt and decreasing-radius turns.
What to know
- Best time to ride: Spring weekdays. Summer weekends bring tourists and the law.
- Speed limit: 30 mph through the curves. Enforced.
- Photographers: Pro photographers are stationed along the route on busy days. They'll post photos online — search "Killboy" or "129slayer".
- The Tree of Shame: At the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort (south end), a tree decorated with motorcycle parts from crashes. Sobering.
Approach
The whole NC-129 / US-129 corridor from Robbinsville to Maryville is worth riding. The Dragon is the famous bit, but the surrounding Cherohala Skyway and Hellbender 28 are equally great with far less traffic.
// NEARBY