Tail of the Dragon
Deals Gap, NC → Tabcat, TN · ~11 miles · half day
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
US-129 at Deals Gap packs 318 curves into 11 miles with no intersections and no driveways — a legendary ribbon of asphalt for motorcyclists and sports-car drivers.
Updated July 2026.
318 curves in 11 miles.
The most famous driving road in the East. Pair it with the longer, calmer Cherohala Skyway for a full day of mountain curves.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the Tail of the Dragon are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Deals Gap, Tabcat Bridge, The 318 curves, Fontana Dam, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Deals Gapthe start, with the famous motorcycle resort — open the stop guideNC
02Tabcat Bridgethe calm northern end along Chilhowee Lake — open the stop guideTN
03The 318 curvesthe relentless switchback run itself — open the stop guideNC
04Fontana Damthe tallest dam in the eastern U.S., a short detour — open the stop guideNC
05Cherohala Skywaya high, scenic 43-mile companion drive — open the stop guideTN
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the Tail of the Dragon are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort Restaurant, Lynn's Place, Tapoco Tavern, Dragon Pit Stop.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort Restaurant
The obvious Tail of the Dragon basecamp meal, surrounded by bikes, stickers, and the exact road culture travelers came for.
- Lynn's Place
A Robbinsville comfort-food stop that works for both Tail of the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway days.
- Tapoco Tavern
A riverside lodge tavern that works for Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, and Fontana Dam days.
- Dragon Pit Stop
A smoky western gateway meal for Dragon travelers coming in from the Foothills Parkway and Knoxville side.
- Foothills Milling Company
A Maryville dinner upgrade for Tail of the Dragon travelers coming from the Knoxville side, useful when the drive deserves a real finish.
- Crow's Nest Tavern
A Tellico Plains tavern stop for the Cherohala Skyway approach, built for the kind of hungry mountain-road day this route creates.
- Iron Works Grille
A riverside Tellico Plains grill at the western Cherohala gateway.
- La Loteria
A Tellico Plains Mexican stop with easy gateway-town utility before the Cherohala climb or as a recovery meal after it.
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Stay & experience
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Things to do near Tail of the Dragon
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