Tail of the Dragon 2026: Three Days, Four States, One Dragon
Posted on Sun 08 November 2026 in Blog
Three days, four states, one Dragon.
At the end of October, my buddies Chance and Dave and I rode from Columbus, Ohio to Robbinsville, North Carolina and back. It was our first group trip on the channel, and the whole thing was built around one Sunday: the Tail of the Dragon in the morning and the Cherohala Skyway in the afternoon.
Getting there
Saturday was the long day: south out of Ohio through Kentucky and into Tennessee, then into the mountains and on to Robbinsville. We kept the Dragon off the route on the way down on purpose. It deserved fresh eyes and a full morning.
The Dragon
US-129 at Deals Gap. 318 curves in 11 miles. No intersecting roads, no driveways, just one corner after another along the edge of the Smokies.
Late October timing paid off: the color was at its peak.
The Cherohala Skyway
After the Dragon, the Skyway: long sweepers climbing past 5,000 feet between Tellico Plains, Tennessee and Robbinsville, with overlook after overlook.
The ride home
Monday was the long haul back north to Columbus.
The full video
The full trip video is coming to YouTube. Until then, the short cuts are on Instagram and TikTok.
Worth every curve.
RIDE • EXPLORE • REMEMBER