Starting off these stores will open on WEEKENDS ONLY from 10am-5pm on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. These HD stores close during the winter and reopen for the riding season.

The Harley Store in Maryville, TN stays open all year at 1820 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway Maryville , TN 37801.  If you get a chance be sure to stop by for a look at their 129 Dragon shirts and merchandise.  They also have a nice customer lounge along with music events at the Shed.

Note: Harley-Davdison is a registered trademark of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. This author, company, and website are not endorsed by or affiliated with Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

This dealer owns additional stores in Pigeon Forge TN and London KY. For more details visit their site at Harley Dragon Store.

The water is dam controlled so you’ll want to plan around 10 weekends based on the Cheoah River Release Schedule for 2012.

The Cheoah River whitewater is normally tamed by Santeetlah Dam, but starting in 2005 the water was released under a Relicensing Settlement Agreement.

Now daring kayak enthusiasts and rafters take to the Cheoah River to tackle Class IV and V whitewater on limited release dates.   For 2012 the waters will be unleashed on 20 scheduled days but heavy rains will sometimes provide additional release dates.  There were quite a few bonus release date in 2011 due to the heavy rains in Western Northe Carolina. Here is the…

Cheoah River Release Schedule for 2012

February 25 & 26 (Saturday & Sunday)
March 17, 18 & 19 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday)
April 14, 15 & 16 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday)
April 28 & 29 (Saturday & Sunday)
May 5 & 6 (Saturday & Sunday)
May 19 & 20 (Saturday & Sunday)
May 26 & 27 (Saturday & Sunday)
July 7 & 8 (Saturday & Sunday)
September 1 (Saturday)
November 3 (Saturday)

The Cheoah River runs along US HWY 129 outside of Robbinsville in Graham County North Carolina and offers 9 miles of heart pounding adventure. Nearby is the famous Tail of the Dragon or Dragon at Deals Gap, where car and motorcycle drivers test their skills on the sharp 318 turns in 11 miles.

This is considered challenging whitewater with prior experience and/or guides suggested. Cheoah River Guided trips are offered by:

* Nantahala Outdoor Center

* Wildwater Rafting

* USA Raft

* Endless River Adventures

Even if you don’t take to the water during the release dates it is fun to watch the kayaks and rafts navigate the river, especially the water fall in the Cheoah River Photos featured in this post. (Oh and to Mikayla from NOC… go back to studying…your summer whitewater will be here soon!)

You’ll see all the cars parked on the side of the road about 3/4 of the way down the Cheoah River before Tapoco Lodge. The historic Topoco Lodge reopened for business in 2011 and offers lodging and food.

The dam is controlled by the Tapoca division of Alcoa and they post this disclaimer on their site: Water release schedules and flow levels posted by Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI) as directed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice.

Click the link to view the official 2012 Cheoah River Release Schedule at Alcoa.

Can you say big?  While not as large as the Redwoods in California, these hardwoods are most impressive at 20 feet around and some of the largest trees you can see in the Eastern United States. 

On our last visit we pulled into the paved parking area right around noon and were greeted by a member of the Forest Service staff under the informational pavilion.  The trail is well marked with maps readily available, so no worries if a ranger isn’t present.

The full trail is 2 miles long and made up of two primary loops that form an elongated figure eight. The lower loop is about 1.25 miles with the upper loop clocking in at .75 of a mile.  While most people head over the bridge to the left to start the trail, we prefer heading out on the right.  This is an easier incline route saving the steepest part for downhill on the way back!

The two loops intersect at the middle where you can find the official Memorial plaque to Joyce Kilmer.  He was a soldier and a poet (yes, Joyce is a dude) that was killed in action during WWI.  He wrote that poem about Trees that starts out ….. “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree…..”

We finished the full two miles in an hour with photo op stops along the way.  It took about 35 minutes on the lower loop and 25 minutes on the upper loop.  We were walking at a pretty good clip so allow somewhere between 1- ½ hours.

You can hike all or a portion of the trail but if you want to see the big grand daddy trees, be sure to complete the upper loop called Poplar Cove.  Most of the larger trees can be viewed on this upper loop so keep going once you get to the Memorial plaque.

The trail is packed dirt with quite a few tree roots and rocks to step over. A sturdy and comfortable pair of hiking type shoes is recommended.  The views of the towering trees and lush forest undergrowth are set against the sound of babbling Lake Santeetlah Creek making for a memorable experience.

Getting There…….

There are two routes to reach the entrance of the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.  Both routes are well marked, on paved two lane roads, and easily reached by motorcycle or car.  What route you take really depends on what end of Lake Santeetlah you start from. 

From Robbinsville: Head North on US 129 for about a mile then turn left onto NC 143 West.  Travel about 12 miles and take a right turn on Joyce Kilmer Road SR 1134.  Go about two miles and turn left into the forest entrance.

From The Dragon on US129:  Heading South on US 129 turn right onto SR 1134/1147 then take the next right onto Joyce Kilmer Road SR 1134 following the signs to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.  The road meanders around the west end of Lake Santeetlah for about 6 miles.  When you reach the stop sign just go straight into the entrance of the forest.  If you turn left at the stop sign (instead of going straight) and travel 2 miles you will reach NC 143 W at the start of the Cherohala Skyway.  This is a great short cut when riding back from the Dragon that takes about 8 miles total from US 129 to NC 143 and saves mileage if you don’t want to head back into Robbinsville. 

The Cheoah River runs along US HWY 129 outside of Robbinsville in Graham County North Carolina and offers 9 miles of heart pounding adventure. Nearby is the famous Tail of the Dragon or Dragon at Deals Gap, where car and motorcycle drivers test their skills on the sharp 318 turns in 11 miles.

The whitewater on the Cheoah is normally tamed by Santeetlah Dam, but starting in 2005 the water schedule was released under a Relicensing Settlement Agreement.

The waters will be unleashed on 19 scheduled days but heavy rains will sometimes provide additional release dates.  Here is the…

Cheoah River Release Schedule for 2011

February 19 & 20 (Saturday & Sunday)
March 19, 20 & 21 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday)
April 2 & 2 (Saturday & Sunday)
April 9 & 10 (Saturday & Sunday)
April 16 & 17 (Saturday & Sunday)
May 14 & 15 (Saturday & Sunday)
May 21 & 22 (Saturday & Sunday)
June 18 & 19 (Saturday & Sunday)
October 1 (Saturday)
November 5 (Saturday)

The dam is controlled by the Tapoca division of Alcoa and they post this disclaimer on their site: Water release schedules and flow levels posted by Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI) as directed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Click the link to view the official 2011 Cheoah River Release Schedule at Alcoa.

This is considered challenging whitewater with prior experience and/or guides suggested.  Even if you don’t take to the water during the release dates it is fun to watch the kayaks and rafts navigate the river, especially the water fall in the photo.  You’ll see all the cars parked on the side of the road about 3/4 of the way down the Cheoah River before Tapoca Lodge.

Get out and enjoy the ride!

TDOT closed 129 at the NC/TN boarder and it looks as though the road will not open until March 26.

Click Here for Update Info

UPDATE -  3-24-10 – Well, it is not looking good for summer riding (at least on the Dragon). TNDOT has just reported an ESTIMATED date of September 1, 2010 for the re-opening. See below for people to contact regarding voicing your concern. There is no question that this effects the summer riding.

UPDATE - 3-27-10 – TDOT has taken down the Sept 1 target date and replaced it with a July 31st date. We will know more after Monday after the contract has been awarded. We can tell you that the contract looks like it will include some “finish early” incentives. This should result in a sooner than July 31st opening – but we will report more *here* when we get all the details.

3-29-10 – The 129 / Dragon is now looking at an open date around July 1 or SOONER. The contract has been awarded for a cool $2 million and there are incentives for them to finish before the July deadline.

***Latest Update 4-08-10 – TDOT has announced in a press release that the 11 mile section known as the Tail of the Dragon will be open from 8 am to 8 pm beginning Monday April 12, 2010. The only access is from North Carolina US 129. THP… announced that there will be zero tolerance for traffic violations.***

LATEST UPDATE 7-9-10 – : ROAD OPEN! NOW GET OUT AND RIDE!

The “full closure” is largely due to the inability of TN emergency vehicles able to access the Dragon however, it is questionable why the long-term fix.

There are plenty of other great rides in the area. Check out Featured Rides on 129Dragon.com

Concerns over the temporary closure of US129 should be addressed to these officials:

NC Governor:
Governor Bev Perdue
Governor’s Office
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Phone: (919)733-4240
Fax: (919)733-2120
governor.office@nc.gov

NC US Congressman:
Congressman Heath Shuler
422 Cannon House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC, 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6401
Fax: (202) 226-6422
Boyce.Deitz@mail.house.gov

NC State Representative:
Senator John Snow
NC Senate
16 W. Jones Street, Room 2111
Raleigh, NC 27601-2808
Phone: (919) 733-5875
Email: John.Snow@ncleg.net

TN Governor:
Governor Phil Bredesen
Governor’s Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
Phone: 615.741.2001
Fax: 615.532.9711
Phil.Bredesen@tn.gov

TN US Congressman:
Congressman John J Duncan JR
2207 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5435
Fax: 202-225-6440
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

TN State Representative:
Senator Doug Overbey
4 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0208
Phone: 615-741-0981 or
800-449-TENN, ext. 10981
Fax: 615-253-0224
Sen.Doug.Overbey@capitol.tn.gov

Although the road did open briefly with one lane, it is now closed in both directions. The initial re-open date was targeted for March 20th but that is in question due to some testing. (We will add an update here when we know more).

***UPDATE*** TDOT closed 129 at the NC/TN boarder and it looks as though the road will not open until March 26. The “full closure” is largely due to the inability of TN emergency vehicles able to access the Dragon.

Latest Update – 04-08-10 – TDOT has announced in a press release that the 11 mile section known as the Tail of the Dragon will be open from 8 am to 8 pm beginning Monday April 12, 2010. The only access is from North Carolina US 129. THP announced that there will be zero tolerance for traffic violations.

LATEST UPDATE 7-9-10 – : ROAD OPEN! NOW GET OUT AND RIDE!

YOU CAN ride the dragon from the North Carolina side (outside of Robbinsville) but plan on a long day (extra 100 miles) if you are trying to make it back to TN. (Alternate: Cherohala Skyway and US 441 Great Smokey Mountains)

Here is a video of a guy that ran into the rocks AFTER the slide occurred. News Crews were filming at the time.

Wheels Through Time Museum will be sponsoring a vintage bike ride-in, bike show, swap meet, and field games.

Explore the mountains of North Carolina on two wheels. For more information visit Asheville Bikefest online.

Whitewater enthusiasts converge on the Cheoah River to raft and kayak the Class IV rapids when the waters are unleashed from Santeetlah Dam.

The Cheoah River offers nine miles of heart pounding whitewater adventure running along US Hwy 129. Just a few minutes from the famous Tail of the Dragon and the Dragon at Deals Gap, this area is well known to motor enthusiasts for its 318 turns in 11 miles.

Located in Graham County North Carolina, the Cheoah is a limited release river with 19 days scheduled for 2010 as follows:

Cheoah River High Flow 2010 Release Dates

February 20 & 21 (Saturday & Sunday)

March 20, 21 & 22 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday)

April 10, 11 & 12 (Saturday, Sunday, & Monday)

April 24 & 25 (Saturday & Sunday)

May 8 & 9 (Saturday & Sunday)

May 22 & 23 (Saturday & Sunday)

June 26 & 27 (Saturday & Sunday)

September 18 (Saturday)

October 2 (Saturday)

November 6 (Saturday)

The Dam is managed by Tapoca, a division of Alcoa, with official dates published at:

http://www.alcoa.com/tapoco/en/info_page/santeetlah.asp