From relaxed ridgeline cruises to the most technical tarmac in the Southeast. Difficulty is rated Relaxed, Spirited, or Expert.
US-129 · Deals Gap
The legend — 318 curves in 11 miles with no intersecting roads. Technical, relentless, and unforgettable. Five minutes from Tapoco Lodge.
Tellico Plains to Robbinsville
A scenic high-elevation skyway the chapter runs on its Tapoco Lodge drive-out, ending at the historic Tapoco Lodge for lunch. Wide, well-paved curves with overlooks the whole way.
Cherokee to Pisgah Inn
Flowing ridgeline sweepers with layered mountain views — the chapter's Pisgah Inn drive-and-overnight route. Grand-touring at its best.
Walland to Wears Valley
A loop through the Smoky Mountains with sweeping views, elevated curves, and unforgettable scenery.
US-441 · Cherokee, NC to Gatlinburg, TN
The main road across Great Smoky Mountains National Park, climbing to the 5,048 ft gap on the TN–NC state line. A relaxed, scenic cruise with sweeping overlooks — expect park traffic in peak season.
NC-28 · Deals Gap to Franklin, NC
NC-28 is the flowing, wooded run that feeds Deals Gap from the south, winding through the Nantahala National Forest along the Little Tennessee River. A favorite warm-up or cool-down for a Dragon day.
TN-116 · Oliver Springs to Caryville, TN
A remote, technical East-Tennessee route of tight mountain curves past the old Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. Narrow with limited shoulders — rewarding, but it demands respect.
TN-143 · Roan Mountain, TN to Carvers Gap
A short, steep switchback climb from the town of Roan Mountain up to Carvers Gap on the NC line, through Roan Mountain State Park and the Cherokee National Forest. Famous for its early-summer rhododendron displays.
US-421 · Mountain City to Bristol, TN
US-421 through Shady Valley — known to enthusiasts as 'The Snake' — crosses three mountains with aggressively curvy, elevation-changing sections between Mountain City and Holston Valley. One of the most popular driving roads in upper East Tennessee.
US-64 · Ocoee River Gorge, Polk County, TN
The nation's first National Forest Scenic Byway, tracing the Ocoee River through the Cherokee National Forest on two-lane US-64. A relaxed river-gorge cruise with a climbing spur up Chilhowee Mountain.
TN-67 · Hampton to Butler, TN
TN-67 runs above the Watauga Lake shoreline through the Cherokee National Forest, crossing the reservoir on the high Butler Bridge. An easy, scenic lakeside drive in the state's northeastern corner.
Cades Cove · Great Smoky Mountains NP (near Townsend, TN)
An 11-mile one-way paved loop through a historic valley inside the national park, lined with preserved 19th-century cabins and churches. A slow, scenic wildlife drive — a classic Smokies outing; expect heavy seasonal traffic.