On our way to the famous Tail of the Dragon on day three we stopped at Look Rock Overlook. Located on the scenic Foothills Parkway, Look Rock Overlook provides a scenic view of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was another hot day, so we decided to not take the hike to the Look Rock Tower. Which just gives us an adventure for another time.
Continuing on we reached the beginning of the famed Tail of the Dragon. Located on US Route 129, the Tail of the Dragon begins at the Tabcat Creek Bridge in Tennessee and ends in North Carolina at the intersection of NC 28 and US 129…depending on where you start. We rode it south, then back, so we could experience it both directions. Although it did not gain national attention until the 1990’s it is considered a must do at least once for most motorcycle riders because this stretch of road has 318 curves in 11 short miles and no intersecting roads.
For more details on the history of the road check out the Tail of the Dragon website.
Deals Gap is located along the Tail of the Dragon at the North Carolina-Tennessee line. Here you will find the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort, a place to grab a bite to eat, fill up your tank, shop for some Dragon gear, and get information about the Tail of the Dragon and other motorcycle roads in the area. There are some great maps here.
There is a lot of great photo ops at Deals Gap, including the Tree of Shame. According to the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle resort, the Tree of Shame was started in the 80’s by a group of riders, and is a makeshift shrine to those bitten by the Dragon. While its not something that anyone wants, it does happen, and when it does they have the victim sign and date a part from their bike and they add it to the tree.
The Tail of the Dragon is a beautiful ride weaving through dense forest and has several pull-offs, including the Calderwood Dam Overlook. This is a great spot to stop and get some pictures. There is plenty of room to park and the view is amazing.
Similar to the Back of the Dragon, there are photographers located along the Tail of the Dragon route that will take shots of you and post them for sale on their website. Unlike the BOTD there is a lot more information out there about these photography companies including when they will be there. When we rode there were several posted up at different spots along the road, and I did purchase a few when we got home. Some include killboy.com, 129shots.com, 129slayer.com.
When you ride the Tail of the Dragon make sure to venture south of Deals Gap to see the 225ft Cheoah Dam. At the time of it’s construction, completed in 1919, it was the world’s tallest over-flow dam in the world. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The dam was made famous in the 1993 film, The Fugitive when Harrison Ford’s character made the leap from the top of the dam to elude capture. Which is why it is often referred to as Fugitive Dam.
There is a nice article about the dam here.
Even if you’re not a “Harley” person US 129 Dragon Harley-Davidson is located along the river and is a great spot to stop before or after you take on the Tail of the Dragon. When we stopped there as also a little mom and pop shed setup on the corner next to the HD shop selling motorcycle gear and Dragon merchandise. I’m not sure if they are still there, but if they are make sure to stop and check there little shop out too.
After a long day of riding, 285 miles and many sites, we started north and found some BBQ for dinner and a comfy bed to rest up for the next day.
Please check back for the next part of our adventure.
Below are the links my Roadtripper trips related to this post:
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