83.9207351 35.4736965 www.knoxnews.com 1,988 _north_carolina maryville calderwood blacktop wheelie motorcycling motorcyclists smoky blount sharpest swain topo bryson copperhead curves ela minis coop overlooks unincorporated enthusiasts cdp whittier 606 subculture traversed
where is the tail of the dragon located in north carolina
Deals Gap , North Carolina - wikipedia Deals Gap , North Carolina Jump to : navigation , search <Th_colspan="2"> Deals Gap <Td_colspan="2"> Crossing Deals Gap into North Carolina Elevation 1,988 ft ( 606 m ) Traversed by US 129 Location North Carolina Tennessee United States Range Great Smoky Mountains Coordinates 35 ° 28 ′ 25 '' N 83 ° 55 ′ 15 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.4736965 ° N 83.9207351 ° W ﻿ / 35.4736965 ; - 83.9207351 Coordinates : 35 ° 28 ′ 25 '' N 83 ° 55 ′ 15 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.4736965 ° N 83.9207351 ° W ﻿ / 35.4736965 ; - 83.9207351 Topo map USGS Tapoco <Td_colspan="2"> The pass is located at the North Carolina -- Tennessee state line Deals Gap ( el . 1,988 ft ( 606 m ) ) is a mountain pass along the North Carolina -- Tennessee state line , bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and near the Little Tennessee River . At . 7 miles ( 1.1 km ) south of the gap is the unincorporated community that shares the same name , located at the intersection of US 129 and NC 28 . The area is popular with motorcycle enthusiasts , who cross the gap into Tennessee to drive along `` The Dragon '' ; famous for its 318 curves in 11 miles ( 18 km ) . Contents ( hide ) 1 The Dragon 1.1 In the media 2 See also 3 References 4 External links The Dragon ( edit ) Deals Gap Community Deals Gap is a popular and internationally famous destination for motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts , as it is located along a stretch of two - lane road known since 1981 as `` The Dragon '' or the `` Tail of the Dragon '' . The 11 - mile stretch of the Dragon in Tennessee is said to have 318 curves . Some of the Dragon 's sharpest curves have names like Copperhead Corner , Hog Pen Bend , Wheelie Hell , Shade Tree Corner , Mud Corner , Sunset Corner , Gravity Cavity , Beginner 's End , and Brake or Bust Bend . The road earned its name from its curves being said to resemble a dragon 's tail . The stretch bears the street name `` Tapoco Road '' in North Carolina and `` Calderwood Highway '' in Tennessee and is signed entirely by US 129 ( hidden SR 115 ) . Since part of the road is also the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , there is no development along the 11 - mile stretch , resulting in no danger of vehicles pulling out in front of those in the right of way . It mostly travels through forested area and there are a few scenic overlooks and pull - off points along the route . The speed limit on the Dragon was 55 mph ( 89 km / h ) prior to 1992 ; it was reduced to 30 mph ( 48 km / h ) in 2005 . The presence of law enforcement on the Tennessee portion has dramatically increased since 2007 . During the summer months , the Blount County Rescue Squad maintains a presence on The Dragon on the weekends to assist Rural / Metro with emergency calls stemming from the frequent motorcycle accidents that occur there , as Rural / Metro dispatches from nearby Maryville , Tennessee , and emergency response times may be in excess of an hour . Tail of the Dragon In the media ( edit ) Thunder Road ( 1958 ) Two - Lane Blacktop ( 1971 ) The Fugitive ( 1993 ) In Dreams ( 1999 ) See also ( edit ) MINIs on the Dragon References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` Deals Gap '' . Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved July 21 , 2014 . Jump up ^ Ron Johnson ( July -- August 2006 ) . `` Destinations : Deals Gap , North Carolina '' . Motorcycle Classics . Retrieved August 17 , 2009 . Jump up ^ Coop , Austin ( January 28 , 2015 ) . `` Drive the Tail of the Dragon : America 's most exciting 11 miles '' . Roads & Rides . Retrieved October 1 , 2016 . Jump up ^ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/may/26/blount-officers-work-to-tame-the-dragon/ Jump up ^ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/sep/12/anderson-blount-briefs/ Jump up ^ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/29/riding-safely/ Jump up ^ `` Blount County Rescue Squad '' . `` Blount County Rescue Squad '' . External links ( edit ) Media related to Deals Gap at Wikimedia Commons Photos and Additional Information for Motorcyclists Deals Gap at the Open Directory Project Chasing the Tail of the Dragon Reference point article on 2014 Tail of the Dragon ( TOD ) at Deals Gap , North Carolina <Th_colspan="3"> ( hide ) Municipalities and communities of Swain County , North Carolina , United States <Td_colspan="3"> County seat : Bryson City Town Bryson City CDP Cherokee ‡ Unincorporated communities Almond Deals Gap Ela Hewitt Lauada Ravensford Whittier ‡ Footnotes ‡ This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deals_Gap,_North_Carolina&oldid=783657024 '' Categories : Unincorporated communities in North Carolina Unincorporated communities in Swain County , North Carolina Motorcycling subculture in the United States Communities of the Great Smoky Mountains U.S. Route 129 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Volapük Edit links This page was last edited on 3 June 2017 , at 20 : 18 . 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