Dragon to Skyway Loop
August 19, 2008 by TracyZ · 3 Comments
After years of riding the Smoky Mountains around Deals Gap one of our favorite rides is still the Dragon – Skyway Loop. Start the morning riding the Dragon at Deals Gap complete with 318 turns in 11 miles. Drop down into the valley and loop around to Tellico plains for a stop at the beautiful Bald River Falls. Then head back over the Cherohala Skyway for breathtaking views and mile high elevations ending back at Robbinsville NC.
You can make this a half day to a full day trip depending on how many stops you make along the way. Here we share the details of the route along with Read more
Blue Ridge Parkway
June 28, 2008 by Godfather · 2 Comments
Just 53 miles from The Tail of the Dragon is the entrance to the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most visited roads in America’s National Park System. Extending along the Blue Ridge Mountains, this scenic Parkway offers incredible views year round but especially during the fall when the trees display their spectacular autumn colors.
A Depression era project, the Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia (Milepost 0) with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina (Milepost 469). Boasting over 200 Read more
Cherokee – Maggie Valley Loop
June 28, 2008 by Godfather · Comments Off
Looking for a great ride, scenic waterfall, a bit of history, and some modern fun? A drive through the Cherokee Indian Reservation to Maggie Valley combines all this in an easy day ride covering about 142 miles. Here’s our favorite way to make this loop from the Tail of the Dragon US-129 area.
Starting in Robbinsville, NC head east on NC-143/Sweetwater Road. You’ll be passing over the Appalachian Trail at Stecoah Gap. At the stop sign turn right onto NC-28. This two-lane road will widen to four lanes and offer sweeping views of Fontana Lake and mountain ranges.
Turn Left at US-19/US-74 and take Exit 64 for US-19. Stay on US-19 through Bryson City until you reach Cherokee. Take some time to browse the stores in Cherokee or visit the Oconaluftee Indian Village for a replica of an 18th century Indian town.
The spectacular Mingo Falls are a located a few miles outside Cherokee and worth the side trip. The 120-foot drop makes this waterfall one of the most impressive in Western North Carolina. Read more
Cherohala Skyway
With mile high views and sweeping mountain curves, it’s easy to see why the Cherohala Skyway is a fantasy come true for road enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Rivaling the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, the Cherohala Skyway offers breathtaking sights with the advantage of being relatively undiscovered with substantially less traffic.
Besides the million dollar views, you’ll have the distinction of traveling a $100 million dollar highway, North Carolina’s most expensive. By my calculations that puts the sticker shock at well over $2 million per mile. Must be some pavement with Read more
