tail of the dragon: worth it?

[TrackRider54]

I'm fortunate to live less than 200 miles from these great roads. I make a trip twice a year to spend the weekend riding these roads. Sometimes with friends, and sometimes alone. On my motorcycle I also have the option of doing dirt/gravel roads which opens up an entire new world. You think it's remote and desolate on a paved road....get off the beaten path. It's almost eerie when you're out in the boonies, no cell signal, and you either figure out a way to make it through or you walk a long way.

Parson's Branch Road from Cade's Cove to Deal's Gap is quite an experience. Don't attempt it in a BRZ. LOL!

[thomasmryan]

yep...there is one hill on parsons with a extremely deep rut,midway up, that requires about 5.5"-6" of clearance. some good times on that road. pre park, it was brothels and stills.

[00NissanNinja]

Very fun road, as long as the traffic is low and you don't run into a convoy of harleys. Wish I could have took my motorcycle for the trip as well, but the BRZ was just as fun. You do have to be careful navigating turns though because often people will cross over into your lane.

[TrackRider54]

Originally Posted by 00NissanNinja

You do have to be careful navigating turns though because often people will cross over into your lane.

Yep. One a bike it's pretty dicey, but motorcycles have two advantages over all but exotic cars. They accelerate, and change directions more quickly. Saved my bacon several times when some moron decided he had a right to my lane or some lookie loo wants to do 10mph under the speed limit.

It a car, the Dragon would be less than fun unless it was early morning on a weekday and there was no traffic. There simply isn't any place to pass unless you can do so very quickly. On weekends during the busy season, forghedaboudit

[Williampreza]

Originally Posted by oldgunfan

Anyone ever see any E-85 at any of the gas stations around Deals Gap??

The closest that I know of is just south of 75/40 at the Northshore exit of Pellissippi Pkwy.
Pilot, 9550 Northshore Dr., Knoxville, TN 37922

[bhmax]

A bit sad I had to move further away from here. Got to take a run through while visiting friends for the 4th. I'll be back as often as I can!

[bhmax]

Originally Posted by oldgunfan

Anyone ever see any E-85 at any of the gas stations around Deals Gap??

Nothing that I know of closer than the one noted above, but there's a couple of stations off I75 exits that you'd take to go to the Cherohala Skyway.

[DriveDriftDogfight86]

I've gone twice. Unfortunately the second trip coinciding with ZDayZ's? Some huge 350z/370z meet, probably hundreds of them. Some of them tried to ride my ass super hard at times, that wasn't fun as I'm not trying to crash there.
I like Cherohala Skyway alot more than the actual Dragon tho, the roads that you can get a much higher speed going. The Dragon is pretty low speed, and is more of like a tourist attraction in itself.

[TrackRider54]

Originally Posted by DriveDriftDogfight86

I like Cherohala Skyway alot more than the actual Dragon tho, the roads that you can get a much higher speed going. The Dragon is pretty low speed, and is more of like a tourist attraction in itself.

The Cherohala has a lot of big high speed sweepers, but just when you get in a rhythm and you and in your happy place, that road will toss a hairpin at you. You have to be on your toes. Thankfully, motorcyclists have painted warnings on the road before most of the dangerous curves. Gotta watch those pull outs too....folks tend to not look very well when they pull back out on the road.

[guybo]

Oct 10 my wife and I are heading up to the Tail and the Blue Ridge parkway for a trip. I can't wait

[Balistik]

We will be there October 6-8 for the Slaying the Dragon hill climb. There will be a 2 mile section of Maple Gap Rd closed off for the racing.

[Williampreza]

Originally Posted by Balistik

We will be there October 6-8 for the Slaying the Dragon hill climb. There will be a 2 mile section of Maple Gap Rd closed off for the racing.

Maple Gap Rd? Where is that? (Can't get google to find it.)

[radroach]

Cops, congestion really aren't too big of a deal as long as you aren't going on holiday weekends or during big meets. If you get held up behind someone holding you up, just pull off and wait a minute, its not a big deal, its not a racetrack. As for tickets, on the way before the first corners, I passed a van on the dotted pass zone and ended up zooming by a officer and didn't get a ticket. I think you'd have to be doing something blatantly offensive with your driving- cutting lines, tailgaiting, otherwise causing trouble for other drivers, to be any concern to them.

The speed limit is low, and you'll quickly realize why because the turns are so tight it's almost impossible to take some corners over 35 mph, at least on a stock BRZ.

OP, if you're planning a trip from Nashville, be aware it's a longer drive than it seems, so do plan on picking rest areas, bring a cooler with snacks, printed maps so you don't get lost out there with no phone signal.

[Balistik]

Originally Posted by Williampreza

Maple Gap Rd? Where is that? (Can't get google to find it.)

It is supposed to be in the Joyce Kilmer Park. I do not see the road name on the map either. You can find the details on the under upcoming events at svra.com