Tail of the Dragon

The Tail of the Dragon is 11 miles of pure driving challenge on US 129 — 318 curves with zero intersections between Tennessee and North Carolina. We've driven it dozens of times and it never gets old, though your first run will humble you real quick.

Most people start at Deals Gap where the 129 Hub sits right at the beginning. You can grab snacks and watch other riders prep their bikes or sports cars before tackling the curves. The road stays open 24/7 since it's a public highway, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's easy — crashes happen when people get cocky with the tight switchbacks.

Spring opening is February 27th this year, weather permitting. We always hit it in late September when the fall colors are insane — every curve gives you a new view of reds and golds stretching across the mountains. Just finished a fresh resurfacing in 2024 so the pavement's smooth, but that almost makes it more dangerous because you feel like you can go faster than you should.

Fair warning: weekends get absolutely packed, especially during events like the Dragon Rally in March. The pull-offs for photos fill up fast and you'll spend more time sitting in traffic than actually driving. Oh and if you crash, killboy.com probably got a photo of it — they station photographers at key spots and sell the pics online later.

Skip the busy weekends and go early morning on a Tuesday. That's when you get the Dragon to yourself and can actually enjoy those 318 curves without dodging weekend warriors who think they're the next racing champion.