Tail of the Dragon

[ekam]

Looks like I'll be driving down there in a few weeks. Anything I should be aware of beside DON'T roll down the mountain?

Tail Of The Dragon - Time Lapse Hi Def - 318 Curves 7 Cops 11 Miles - Deal's Gap - Gatlinburg - YouTube

[Ghostrider 310]

seven police officers, #$%&* when is the USA going to have an autobahn? Aren't we overdue? We could fit ten Germany(s) in a couple western states yet no speed roads. We have more acreage than EU but no road.Make it a toll road, make people attain special licence to drive fast, no cellphone coverage whatever it takes to enjoy one of the "freedoms" Germany has that we can only dream of, it's Bull$hit man!!

[san rensho]

Deals Gap would be a great venue for an Isle of Man type road race. But of course because of the carnage involved in an open road motorcycle race, it would never happen.

[derb]

ekam,
Been there once a year for the past 5 years. Great road.
Saturdays are real busy so get up early to run it before all the traffic hits.
Another great road is Rt 28 from Deal's Gap. There's a power dam along the way that has a visitor's center at the top and a picnic area below. I think it's Fontana Dam.
At Lauada NC, Rt 28 turns south towards Franklin. That road has 55 mph speed limits and is a blast- not as curvy as the Dragon so more speed.
The Cherohala Skyway is a nice leisurely drive- take 143 west from Robbinsville.
The Two Wheel Inn has nice rooms, the are located just south of Robbinsville.
This time of year shouldn't see that much police activity.

Have fun,
mike

[Bob O]

I was on it a couple of days after Thanksgiving last year. Deal's Gap was closed! BUT...there was NO ONE on the road, including cops. I talked to a biker guy who had just come south (we were going north) and he said there were no cops anywhere. Since it was the end of the season we had it all to ourselves....well except for a van I caught up to, but he pulled over at the very first opportunity and let us by. Nice guy.

A great road..even is it only lasts about 20 minutes or so, or did for me since there wasn't any traffic. There's lots of scenery, I guess....I really didn't see much of it since I was pretty well concentrating on the road. But the curves just keep coming. Holy cow. A great diversion from our planned route home. (My wife said she actually kept her eyes open the entire stretch. lol. THAT's a new one)

Sorry I can't offer any hints..other than to watch out for the hwy patrol. If you have a radar detector I'd probably keep it on! And look out for the fools coming at you crossing the lines. The 20mph speed limit on some of the corners is wayyyyyy too high for most cars.

The roads on either side of the Dragon are pretty nice too. Lots of nice scenery (that I actually DID see). Enjoy it.

Bob

[Paul]

Fontana Village is a great place to stay.

Fontana Village Resort. A Great Smoky Mountain Destination!

[LAP1DOUG]

Originally Posted by derb

ekam,
The Cherohala Skyway is a nice leisurely drive- take 143 west from Robbinsville.
Have fun,
mike

Make sure you take the Cherohala as a "leisurely drive" indeed. It is heavily patrolled - that is the last place I received a ticket on my motor bike. The sad thing is that it is a beautiful, smooth, and wide road with a ridiculously low speed limit.

If you make it further south, Hwy 129 in Georgia at Blood Mountain is outstanding. There are photographers set up there taking photos they will sell you on line just like the at the Dragon:

[Flavor 987S]

I've run the TOD many tine with Derb, Randall, NickCats and Sammy. Have fun:

[Brockmeister]

Just look out for the bikes. They sometimes have a hard time in the corners. Let the m pass if they start creepin' up your tail.

[spdylw986]

Have a great time and enjoy the road. Went North following a vette (no fun as he had too much torque to handle the curves) Coming back south though was amazing. We have an amazing car that handles so well. I think I only hit third gear twice over the 13 mile stretch.

If you don't have a place to stay, I would recommend the Blue Boar Inn in Robbinsville, NC. I hqve to agree with some of the other replies, watch for bikes and take the Cherohala Skyway...Breathtaking views!!!

[amschnellsten]

One of the best roads it the US. I have never taken any Pcars down there but I have taken every bike I have owned. Watch for bikes!

[WhipE350]

I'll be up there the 26th,27th, 28th. Mapping out our whole trip right now. Sister and brother in law are coming down from Chicago, I'm going up in the Boxster, and my friend is driving his 991. If you get a chance on your way down do the 226n loop around Little Switzerland. Went up the south branch of it last Sat...wild ride.

[LAP1DOUG]

Originally Posted by Flavor 987S

I've run the TOD many tine with Derb, Randall, NickCats and Sammy. Have fun:

I rode this Hwy 28 you have marked coming back from the Dragon, and it definitely rocked.

[Kenny Boxster]

Man. I would love to buy a Ducati 916 and motorcycle lessons just for this occasion. Instant fascination to Ducati ever since seeing the film "Taxi" in 1998.

[Flavor 987S]

Originally Posted by LAP1DOUG

I rode this Hwy 28 you have marked coming back from the Dragon, and it definitely rocked.

Yes it does! That's why Derb and I named it The Twisted Pickle. If you want the rest of the story, you need to buy us a beer some day!

[pothole]

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

seven police officers, #$%&* when is the USA going to have an autobahn? Aren't we overdue? We could fit ten Germany(s) in a couple western states yet no speed roads. We have more acreage than EU but no road.Make it a toll road, make people attain special licence to drive fast, no cellphone coverage whatever it takes to enjoy one of the "freedoms" Germany has that we can only dream of, it's Bull$hit man!!

To be fair, the unrestricted autobahns are pretty dull multi lane highways. Even in Germany, the fun roads have speed limits.

But it has always struck me as odd that the US touts its "freedoms" so boldly but doesn't extend this to the roads. If I was being facetious, I'd say the US was a place where it's OK for everyone to have guns, but you get harassed by the police for driving anything faster than an excruciating crawl!

[recycledsixtie]

Originally Posted by pothole

to be fair, the unrestricted autobahns are pretty dull multi lane highways. Even in germany, the fun roads have speed limits.

But it has always struck me as odd that the us touts its "freedoms" so boldly but doesn't extend this to the roads. If i was being facetious, i'd say the us was a place where it's ok for everyone to have guns, but you get harassed by the police for driving anything faster than an excruciating crawl!

well i think that it is an attempt by the govt. To use speed limits to protect drivers from themselves. The gun part? Well u need a gun to protect yourself from all the others with guns.

[ekam]

Originally Posted by pothole

To be fair, the unrestricted autobahns are pretty dull multi lane highways. Even in Germany, the fun roads have speed limits.

This is not what I would call a dull video...

Aische fährt 300km/h im Audi S4 / RS4 auf der Autobahn - YouTube

[pothole]

You have to go really fast to make autobahn driving interesting. And even then it's very one dimensional - you just sit there with the throttle pinned and hope nobody pulls out on you. And that's about it. I've around 150 to 160 on the autobahn (not in my 2.5, obviously). I suppose there would be novelty in cracking the 200mph barrier. But a road with corners is infinitely more fun.

If you lived in Germany and popped out for a drive in something like a Box with the purpose of sheer fun, you wouldn't just beat up and down the autobahn. That would be fairly ridiculous!

It's a novelty the first time or if you haven't driven them for a bit, I happily admit. But that's all.

[Wingnut2u]

Here is a quick pic of Tail of the Dragon from last fall, it is one of the best stretches of road you can drive. Go early in the morning, traffic really picks up after 10:00am and make sure to drive it more than once