Slaying the Dragon at Deal's Gap
Space Mountain, Blazing Fury, Python Pit, Scream Machine, Looping Thunder, Yankee Cannonball, Quantum Loop; these are some of the most thrilling amusement park rides in the United States. Many motorcycle riders would agree that the Dragon -- a twisting, turning, undulating hunk of U.S. 129 that crests Deal’s Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina border -- belongs on such a list.
Many riders have attacked the Dragon’s 318 turns in 11 miles. The vast majority who’ve braved its lair emerged unscathed. However, the Dragon has taken a bite out of many who’ve dropped their guard, overestimated their skills or underestimated the risk.
The road challenges riders’ ability to handle short straight-aways coupled with continuous turns, decreasing-radius corners and abrupt elevation changes. Most turns offer little or no run-off space where riders can remedy bad judgment. A combination of steep cliffs, long drop-offs, and thick stands of trees bordering most of the 11-mile run adds meaning to the phrase “failure is not an option.”
A motorcyclists’ Mecca in the Smokies.
Since the early 1990s, when word started spreading among bikers about this great ride in the Smokey Mountains, the Dragon has gained the trappings of a motorcyclists’ Mecca.On a typical warm-weather weekend, hundreds of riders converge here to test their mettle or simply experience one of the most demanding combinations of straights and twisties in the Eastern United States. They come on all makes and models of motorcycles. Many wear professional-style road racing outfits that attest to how seriously they view this endeavor.
Lots of riders -- especially those on speedy, road-hugging sport bikes -- arrive early and stay late, making multiple runs for a full day of excitement. Others make one or two runs and take satisfaction in surviving the Dragon. Long distance riders heading to and from the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway often add a side trip to experience the Dragon. This road sees many repeat visitors.
Few man-made distractions to get in the way.
Deal’s Gap, the moniker many riders also use for the Dragon, is actually the 1,962-foot high pass between the series of mountains this road follows. Besides the twists and turns that make it a technically demanding and exhilarating ride, this piece of blacktop has other features that attract motorcycle riders.The Dragon is isolated in the woods and free of distractions such as intersections, driveways, homes, and buildings. Very little evidence of human infringement is apparent within five miles in any direction because most of the roadway is bounded by United States Forest Service property.
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