7 Things You NEED To Know Before Riding The Tail Of The Dragon

The Infamous Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee and North Carolina is 318 curves in 11 miles. While it's fairly short, the road offers tons of surprises and if you're planning your first or 100th trip, here's 7 things you need to know before riding the dragon.
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[@nomap2161]

I rode out there from AZ in 2022 to ride the Dragon since it was on my bucket list. I got there on a weekend and there was a Mazda Miata club meetup going on. There was probably 100 Miatas parked off the side when I started and then they all started racing through. Most of them were respectful to motorcyclists and I pulled off when I could to let them by, but on their way back, many of them were going over the line into my lane. Scared the shit out of me and I decided to keep going after Deals Gap and not ride it back. I’m glad I rode it, but I’d never do it again. I made my way up to Ohio a couple days later and rode the Triple Nickel (555) and it was the complete opposite. Nice windy curves, almost zero cars and it was probably the best road I’ve ridden so far. Ironically, Car and Driver Magazine named it one of the top roads to drive in the U.S.

[@ericalger5003]

That's a long way to ride to hit a 11 mile stretch of overrated pavement. The only time to ride the dragon is mid week in the spring before the kids get out of school and in the fall when the kids go back to school, but before the leaves begin to change colors.

[@benriding8678]

I've riding Deals Gap for 20 years and have been avoiding it due to the terrible road condition but now the NEW asphalt is AMAZING! And now I want to go weekly as I live one hour away!

[@retiredarmyvet2018]

Was there the first week of June. Paving is complete. It was amazing.

[@albowler9454]

Finished this ride and we all said the same thing: "that was it?" Way better roads, don't go outta your way for this ride. Don't get me wrong, very twisty but highly over rated in comparison to Million Dollar Hwy, Bears Tooth, etc.

[@one60studios74]

I live in East Tennessee and there are tons of roads just like the dragon. The dragon is just a crazy busy version of roads that we drive on every day. We swing by there once a year to check out the cars and bikes tho. Southeast Kentucky has a bunch of good roads as well and the area isn’t super populated.

[@robertwaters4365]

Said the same thing

[@johnludtke1447]

Define better

[@TRC_WA]

I won’t be in NC anytime soon but thankfully there’s a ton of great rides in the Pacific Northwest. The Cascade Loop is right up the road. 😎

[@hogluvr1]

Update on Dragon repave. Killboy posted yesterday (5/22) that paving southbound is done, and a few mile of northbound. Monday's a holiday. So entire repave could be done as early as the end of next week. Weather, etc, dependent. The road will be oily for a little bit. Extra caution, especially if it happens to rain. Be safe everyone!

[@s.s.goldwing9797]

Great information, brother

[@HegshotRides]

Thanks man

[@HarrisBinUAE]

My friend and I are doing this as past of a 3,500 mile trip. We’re riding north to south and we’ve already planned to ride it very early on a weekday. Fantastic news that it’s being repaved. We’re riding it in early August and I’m stoked to do it.

[@EvvanAmundson]

Now I know this a bike/Harley travel video…. But…..I just want to point out the beautiful R32 GTR Skyline at 0:23 😮‍💨

[@jasonb779]

This ride is in my neck of the woods (140 miles round trip from my house). Just a quick afternoon ride for me and my riding buddies… I know I am spoiled. Although it has gotten so busy so during the busy times I have many other local routes I prefer to ride as they are the roads less traveled. Hard to beat the tail of the dragon and foothills parkway though! Glad you enjoyed.

[@hogluvr1]

Paving has started. This is also the busiest time of year to go. Alternative rides.... Cherohala Skyway (Tellico Plains, TN), Blood Mountain (Blairsville, GA), and others.

[@Bikerbug2020]

Haven’t been riding too terribly long only 10 years and so far I have managed to get 3 visits to the Dragon to get some riding shots on each of the road bikes and the Slingshot, all of these bikes are now out of the fleet. So it is like my farewell remembrance of the bike.

[@scottorr5758]

I would have to say that the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray to Silverton CO tops my list of truly breathtaking and truly complicated MC roads. I say complicated because there are spots where a small mistake could quite possibly end your life! And that's just you vs the road. Throw in heavy traffic and you better have your skills as sharp as possible...

[@mikeskidmore6754]

I read some statistics on the Dragon. A number of the deaths were from Heart Attacks .

[@bubbanezz]

Heading there this week. Have to admit, I’m kind of nervous. So far, we’ve taken the 219 a lot of the way (we’re from Canada and entered the U.S. at Buffalo). I’ve found the 219 challenging (especially in West Virginia). Hoping I do ok on the Dragon. We’re staying in Maggie Valley for the week. I’m the only rider in our group that hasn’t ridden it.

[@northbysoutheast5439]

We live so close to the Dragon 🐉 that I rode it every Saturday and Sunday back in the 90’s. Stopped riding it when the adrenaline junkies took over.

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

While I an not a fanboy of the dragon, the road is kept in great shape for a road cut in to the side of the mountain. As someone who lives on a mountain, I can tell you that you have to rate them on a different scale than flat land roads. They are constantly migrating down hill. 16 year old me drove down the mountain to school one day. Smooth, perfect state highway. 3 o'clock came an I started home. I hit a 40 foot section of road about half way up that had slid down the mountain 8 inches while I was at school. Essential I hit a 8 inch curb square on at 45 mph. You can guess what that did to my tires. That was my introduction to driving these roads. The road was fixed in a few days. That was the georgia side of the mountain with a lot of traffic an a large budget. The Tennessee side, well, I have a tristate loop video that starts in Tennessee. It shows what is normal. Lots of up an down an lots of patches. My suspension gets a workout in the first 5 minutes. The Alabama side of my mountain, well, that road washed out 15 or so years ago an has yet to be fixed. So when people say the dragon is a well maintained road, they mean compared to whats normal in the mountains.

[@timcavinder3986]

Ride western Tennessee. Natchez Trace State Forest. It is 45,000 Acers. Starts in Kentucky. It is a great ride. All kinds of side roads to check out and hiden lakes. And Curves. Way less traffic.

[@rodneybarcus2233]

Being from that area I say for certain there are better roads in the area. 129 has become to publicize and to much of a tourist attraction.

[@wesleydeitrich2915]

I was there 2 weeks ago for the first time. It was fantastic

[@cjkirk30s]

Moonshiner 28 has quite a bit of construction on it right now as well. Want to go back and ride it again when road is better. We just rode it this past week.

[@LilYeshua]

If you're talking about hwy 421 between Mountain City and Bristol then yes, it's quite curvey. I used a car the last time I discovered it and using the late apex approach seems to be the best method and sets you up for the next curve. You know when you're going too fast when the tires start sqealing. The only more curvey back roads I know of are some back roads in West Virginia where you have to look out the side window to follow the curve if you're in a four wheeler

[@JoeFurtado-xv5no]

Going down there from Massachusetts this summer for a week plan to ride the dragon mid week in the morning to avoid traffic Also plan on hitting the rattler and several other roads to take advantage of as much of the good riding that I can. The Dragon is a bucket list ride but from what I’ve seen online there are many other great roads to hit up while in the area Be safe brother

[@LloydMayes]

Hopefully this summer will be my 1st time riding tail of the dragon. It’s on my bucket list.

[@patrickhollis5332]

On the no trucks we use to be able to run it yes pain in the ass

[@scottlin777]

Can you pick up your bike with the rear "tip over protection guards"? Can ya do a video of it? Thanks.

[@bradlozano2571]

I would like to Check it Out one day....But i havent made any plans though....Being here in Central Cali i have plenty of experience riding on curvy mountain/forest Roads of the Sierra Nevada's....

[@michaelsisk5938]

The Dragon use to be one of my favorite rides, but not anymore. Many riders think that it is a race track and are traveling at 55+ mph. Yes there are pull over spots but at this speed you cannot get out of their way and they pass you at these high rate of speeds.

[@BPBailey85]

Beginning from the North Carolina side, end coming from Tennessee

[@teewhy2602]

There are better roads in that area that are not as crowded

[@brettphillips3091]

What helmet is that you have?

[@evdallas123]

I'd rather ride the cherohala skyway it's right there also but I like the shops and stuff at the beginning of the dragon

[@user-nv1dk9ex1f]

Some things I wish I knew before riding the tail of the dragon. 1. Keep the rubber side down. 2. Unzip your fly in case you get bricked during the ride. 3. Wear a helmet.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

If you are riding a Harley Davidson, Please be Courteous and pull off so everyone else won't be slowed down to snail speed.

[@MichaelH416]

I will say that the when this road earned its reputation the speed limit was much higher. It’s been reduced twice. Also, it was sparsely patrolled previously. Now, in the summer especially, there’s police on motorcycles everywhere. It offers new obstacles now. When I was there last people on groms were zipping between bikes. Also, with cell phones, people with rv’s have ended up on it despite trucks and larger vehicles being prohibited. Truckers used to have a Truck Route GPS. Now everyone just uses their map app on the phone. I’d say there are much better roads in the area. Cherohala Skyway is much better in my opinion.

[@stolnpckup]

I never rode it. I would not mind trying it one day. I just prefer take my time and not being rushed.

[@thomasbrandon5111]

Deals gap has been the end for me the couple times I've been on the Dragon. Last time about 2015

[@JUSTIFIED-R.W.M.J.]

I am beginning to seriously not care about this road. I've said i would probably ride it just to say I did... but it just doesn't mean that much to me. This may be one of the earlier/original "great rides" in the country, but there are many incredible roads, and most of them don't have a target on them where new riders feel the need to prove themselves, and match the record lap, and outdo the riders who came before. I'm not interested in celebrity. All y'all can go get your pictures made on the Tail, and post video and keep on running it like a favorite ride at six flags... that'll leave more roads out there that I don't have to think about challenge riders screwing up my day.

[@FullTankAdventures]

1. Don’t buy new floorboards BEFORE you ride the Dragon.

[@ecc5119]

I’ll steer clear of this road due to the professionals displaying their skills . Either they end in the bushes or on the wrong side of the road. Then the sports cars that ride the double stripe leaving a 3 foot lane to either side. You choose your excitement. There is entirely too many idiots from Atlanta.

[@danconner8264]

certainly not worth going very far out of the way to ride this one. there are tons of good roads all over the country as good, or better. why take a chance on some squirrel on a crotch rocket messing up the day or killing you? once was enough for me...been riding for over 50 years and have ridden thru all the lower 48 states at least twice. would not recommend this road as a "must do" to anyone. jmo.

[@nhzxboi]

There are plenty of roads in NH that thrill me. Yea, we Yankees are still in the Appalachian chain. Looks like a fun ride but the marketing ding-dongs destroyed my desire to even see it. No thanks to the uninvited pictures. I started riding when there was no internet and you shared knowledge of fun rides just through talk and(oh my God) film pictures. Now the shit explodes on social media like eating a taco for breakfast. There is no romance for these things anymore. You warn of heavy traffic and "busy times". That's all I need to ignore the thing. I'll keep my sacred riding places secret. No offense.

[@taken08]

I liked the dragon, but it's way overrated.

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[@chiefjoseph8154]

It’s a nice ride, too much hype for what it is. Get the t-shirt and move on.

[@loganlogan9757]

Should have been titled 2 plus minutes of nothing to do with the Actual title of this video. Thumbs down. Don’t need history lesson of it. Jeesh. GET TO THE POINT

[@ericalger5003]

The Cherohala Skyway is a far better road.