Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap – Motorcycle and sport car tourism serving Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, Cherohala Skyway, Moonshiner28, Devils Triangle, Diamondback, Blue Ridge Parkway, and more.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

for your Tail of the Dragon photos

find us on Plugshare - charging stations at our store

Local culture & things to do

129 Hub, Dragon Welcome Center

Cherokee Realty ~ Robbinsville NC

Cherokee Realty, Robbinsville NC

Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center

Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center, Tellico Plains TN

E-MOTORCYCLE RENTALS, Robbinsville NC

Claw of the Dragon ~ Southwest Virginia

Claw of the Dragon and more roads in Virginia

Wheelers Performance ~ Robbinsville NC

Wheelers Performance, Robbinsville NC

Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson ~ Maryville TN

Smoky Mtn Harley Davidson, Maryville TN smh-d.com
Rocky Top Harley Davidson, Pigeon Forge TN rockytopharley.com
Thunderhead Harley Davidson, Kodak TN thunderheadhd.com

Wolf Creek Rentals

Wolf Creek Motorcycle Rentals, Stecoah NC

Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap with 318 curves in 11 miles: America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road.

Designated US 129, the road is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest with no intersecting roads or driveways to hamper your travel. It is considered “the destination” for thousands of motorcycle and sports car fans throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Can you brave it? It’s best to be cautious as the turns are tight, but the Tail of the Dragon is guaranteed to be the ride of your life.

The nearby Cherohala Skyway is quickly becoming a destination too, with its remote 60 miles of breathtaking scenic mountain highway. The area also has other incredible roads like the Moonshiner 28, Foothills Parkway, Smoky Mountain Loop, Devils Triangle, Blue Ridge Parkway, The Gambler NC209, Diamondback 226, Devil's Staircase, Six Gap North Georgia, The Snake US421 and many Great Forest Service Dual Sport and Jeep Roads.

The Complete History of US 129 from Chiefland, FL to Knoxville, TN
by Ron Johnson 2020

START PLANNING YOUR TRIP

2025 Season Opener

The 2025 Tail of the Dragon Season is HERE!

With snow on the ground around much of the country, it's hard to believe that road trip season is just around the corner. Here at Tail of the Dragon, we are hard at work preparing for a season you won’t forget. We're making sure the store is in tip-top shape for you to rest up and get all your dragon souvenirs. Keep an eye out for our new merchandise this season!

We share with heavy hearts that our co-founder, Ron Johnson, passed suddenly in late January. We're grateful for the road he forged, the memories shared and the tremendous impact he made on the riding and driving community. We hope you'll join us in honoring his legacy as we make memories on the hill together in 2025. For those who have reached out, Nancy is tremendously grateful for the kind words and unmatched support. Hearing your memories and stories about Ron has been an enormous comfort.

As you start your engines in 2025, we can't express enough gratitude for continuing to choose the Tail of the Dragon as the place you come to be with friends, family, and make bucket list memories.

KILLBOY Update on the Current Road Conditions
This winter we saw an increase in 18-wheeler traffic due to the I-40 closure from Hurricane Helene. Thanks to better signage expressing length restrictions, the truck traffic has tapered off. There are some visible scrape marks around "Swift Corner" at about mile marker 4.7 on the TN side, but the rest of the road is in good shape. NCDOT announced a March 1st reopening date for the closed section of I-40 with traffic limited to one lane in each direction at a reduced speed - this should further reduce any chance of 18-wheeler traffic on the Tail of the Dragon.

NCDOT crews have been clearing trees on the North Carolina side of Highway 129 (NOT the Dragon) - specifically, Hwy 129 south of our T-shirt Shack to Tapoco Lodge, and on Moonshiner 28 between the T-shirt Shack and Fontana Village. Once completed, the road should quickly clean up after a few rain showers.

Finally, we want to reassure those concerned about the impact Hurricane Helene had on our area. Everything is open and operating as usual. Most importantly, the local tourism economy is eager for your support. Please note, areas of the Blue Ridge Parkway were heavily damaged by the storm. Sections of the parkway will be closed for repairs for some time. Here is a link to the NPS map showing current closures: https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/helene-impacts-and-recovery.htm

Tail of the Dragon Store

Tail of the Dragon offers custom signs in both street sign and shield format. You can add a photo too. What a great way to remember your trip to the Dragon.

ORDER YOUR CUSTOM SIGN

Tail of the Dragon Store

Find your swag for all the great roads including Cherohala Skwyay, Tail of the Dragon, Moonshiner 28, Devils Triangle, Six Gap, Diamondback and more.

Visit On-Line Store

New Jersey Family at the Tail July 3, 2020

Upcoming 2025 Events

From official rallies with hundreds of attendees to a small gathering of friends, our region is ready to host your group. Let us help you plan your event.

Bring Your Group

2025 Event Calendar