[Kurt13]

My wife and I plan to do the Dragons Tail in Tennessee this summer during the Wing-Ding in Knoxville. Has anyone done this stretch of 129 in both directions and in which direction of travel would be the best?

 

[Two Wheel Wing]

Have done the dragon 3 times. Have gone west from Knoxville to get there. It's a great ride. When you finish do the Cherohala Skyway too. Makes for a great day of riding...

http://www.cherohala.com/

 

[Ron Robertson]

Was going to ride this past summer but when we got there it was closed because of a rock slide, had motel reservations in Maryville only about 35 miles away. Some grizzled old Harley rider gave us the shortest route to Maryville which was the Cherohala sky way, about 100 miles to Maryville but well worth it.
From the Northwest Corner.
Ron

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Was going to ride this past summer but when we got there it was closed because of a rock slide, had motel reservations in Maryville only about 35 miles away. Some grizzled old Harley rider gave us the shortest route to Maryville which was the Cherohala sky way, about 100 miles to Maryville but well worth it.
From the Northwest Corner.
Ron

Not sure when you were there but, most of the time the rock slide was being cleaned up, the Dragon was open during day light hours, accessible from the South only. You could ride to the North end, turn around and ride back South.
For the OP, enjoy:
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

 

[Ron Robertson]

Not sure when you were there but, most of the time the rock slide was being cleaned up, the Dragon was open during day light hours, accessible from the South only. You could ride to the North end, turn around and ride back South.
For the OP, enjoy:
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

We were there I think on the 25th of June. Had spent the night in Boone N.C. and the day on the Blue Ridge, even on the Blue ridge it was really slow,had several delays, for clean up crews then there was a rock slide never Ashville. It was somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 in the Afternoon, we could have rode 11 miles north on the Dragon, but would have had to turn around come back and still ride the 100 mile detour to get to the motel. Maybe next time if we get back that way.
From the Northwest Corner
Ron

 

[Tooth]

watch the cops and the idiots...especially with your wife aboard. It is the home of "Left of Center madness".

 

[crownfire]

If the rock slide is cleaned up, I like going up the hill. At the top keep going towards Robbinsville. Take a right on Hwy 143 which takes you to the Cherohala Skyway. Great area to ride.

 

[cb919er]

I'm about 45 minutes from Tail of the Dragon, if you are coming out of Knoxville, just take 129 to maryville, and you can either just stay one 129 all the way through, or you can take 321 towards Townsend, and run across the Foothills Parkway to 129, which is a great ride

 

[byronlentz]

Tooth is right, watch out for those that can't stay on their side of the road, it WILL happen, and the speed traps! There is lots of good riding around the area!

 

[Caarcrash]

Dragon

My wife and I were there a few months ago and did the Dragon both directions. It was just as good one direction as it was the other. Just a different experience. They had just cleared the rock slide days before we rode and it was awesome!

 

[Kurt13]

Thanks to you all for the information on this.

 

[winger98]

Ride the Tail of the Dragon on a week day, not on Saturday or Sunday. Crotch rockets and sport cars come out, and police presence is greater on the week end.

 

[T-Rex]

Great Riding in that part of the country. Deals Gap (Tail of the Dragon) ; Cherohalla Skyway (Museum on TN side is great) and the Fontana Dam (Hell Bender).
Oh, if you see a rider bouncing his/her hand off the top of his/her helmet that's the signal that LEO's (Law Enforcement Officers) are ahead. Ride all of these roads safely.
Good Luck,
T-Rex