The Dragon - 11 Miles, 318 Chances to Screw Up

There are twisties and then there is The Tail of the Dragon!….Not a road for the faint of heart.

[Note: Let me give you some advise right from the onset:  if you want to have the safest, and most enjoyable, “Dragon” experience possible, do yourself and favour and avoid riding it on weekends and holidays when the rider volume can be a little out of control.  At the end of this post I have links to important tips and things to be aware of when riding the Tail of the Dragon]

It was mid August of 2018 and in the 3 years I had been riding I had racked up about 85,000km (53,000 miles) of seat time – I was ready for the legendary Tail of the Dragon! 

I had already been on this particular road trip for almost 2 ½ weeks, having spent a week riding with friends in The Black Hills of South Dakota before making the turn southeast for the 2,400km (1,500 miles) ride toward the Tennessee/North Carolina state line and the home of one of the most infamous motorcycle roads in North America. 

The Tail of the Dragon, a.k.a. US Route 129 or just The Dragon, is known as one of the most dangerous roads in the US as well as being the single twistiest with 318 curves in just 11 miles (18km). Due to its numerous banking hairpin turns surrounded by heavy forest, and with the occasional cliff just to make it a bit more interesting, it provides a never ending lure for motorcyclists who make the trip for the thrill of this road and for the bragging rights of having tamed The Dragon. 

The Tree of Shame stands at the southern end of The Dragon, at Deals Gap, as a warning to those who might be tempted to get a little too aggressive and it is decorated with hundreds parts and pieces of the motorcycles that failed to negotiate The Dragon. 

I had been working hard on mastering my cornering skills and my toolbox had grown significantly in the last couple of years. I was tossing my 1731 cc, 800 lb motorcycle around with a level of control that made it feel like the bike and I had become one. I figured the Dragon would be a skills test - like taking all the twisties I had done and putting them into one road…and I was, well, sort of right. 

The first dozen or so curves seemed like no big deal and almost a bit disappointing, but then things got interesting. The curves became tighter, more steeply banked and then one S-turn began to immediately blend into the next and the next and the next. I was in the zone and loving it as I pushed the fine line between speed and control, throwing my body and my motorcycle from one curve into another until I was one with the road. 

This was not a scenic ride, and even if it was there would be little time to take it in - it was a rapid succession of turn upon turn that challenges the rider to manage timing, speed and lean angle to make sure you are in the right position on the road going into the next curve, while being aware that the person coming around the bend from the opposite direction might not be.

By the time I rounded the last curve and arrived at Deal’s Gap, I was buzzing on one serious motorcycle high and I didn’t want to come down. I turned my bike around and headed back to do it again in the other direction and then back again. 

This feeling of euphoria was not limited to me - others who were there for the first time seemed to be doing their own personal celebration. One woman, riding 2 up with her man, pulled into Deal’s Gap with her arms raised in victory while yelling with glee, “We did it Baby!! We did the Tail of the Dragon!”.

I finally stopped at Deal’s Gap to grab lunch and some swag. In true biker fashion there is a combination of humour along with a respect for the seriousness of riding here - many riders have lost their lives on this road over the years and accidents are common. With that in mind, the bar at Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort (which is at the North Carolina end of the Dragon) has a strict 2 beer limit, police cars are highly visible to keep speeders under control and warning signs are well displayed. 

You should know that emergency services are over 45 minutes away and the nearest hospital over an hour, but the local community runs the Blount County Rescue Squad which is staffed completely by volunteers, does not charge for services and is supported solely by donation - so, if you ever do tame The Dragon, considering throwing a few dollars in the Blount County Rescue Squad online donation box, because when someone does go down on The Dragon, these good Samaritans are likely to be first to the scene. 

Over the next 3 days of riding the expansive number of incredible roads in the region, from Northern Georgia to Tennessee, I would return to The Dragon several times to get another “hit” of Motorcycle nirvana. 

Eventually it was time for me to take the turn north and head home, this time it would be through the Smokey Mountain Range via The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive – 923km (574 miles) without a single stop sign!...and of course, riding in the Pennsylvania Mountains to make for a perfect 24 days on the road…but that is another story for another day.

Ride safe my friends!

Absolute MUST KNOW before YOU GO to the Tail of the Dragon links:

About the Tail of the Dragon - You will find all kinds of resources for planning including dates for events that you may be interested in or may want to avoid due to volume.

How to ride the Tail of the Dragon - Absolute must read.

History of the Tail of the Dragon - Super cool.

All photographs on this website are the exclusive property of Giselle Briden and may not be copied or reproduced in any form without her express written consent.