Beat me to it. Bunch of us old iron guys stay at the Kickstand Lodge twice a year and make it a habit to hit the museum, the tail, and just about every road in-between that we can. Lots of great riding and scenery...

Watch out for the sportsbike crowd that shoot for "best times" on the dragon, waving at the cameras as they go by with their bikes leaned down to the pavement. Also be on the lookout for the relatively inexperienced curve riders who enter turns too fast, can't negotiate the curve, and end up crossing the yellow line and in the other lane coming at you head-on...

 

Hwy 441 thru Smokey Mountain Park from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and up to Pigeon Forge. There's a bypass now so you don't go thru Gatlinburg and hit all the traffic.
In Pigeon Forge stop at Harley dealer and then take 331 (Wears Valley Road) back towards Townsend. Then make a right and go up a little bit and make a left onto Foothills Parkway. Take this to the end and it puts you at the top of the Tail of Dragon.

 

Fugitive Dam is nothing to talk about, but Fontanna Dam is. Both are very close to Deal's Gap.

I went to that area five years in a row and every year to took a little side trip I hadn't taken in the past and found something I thought was the best part of the trip.

I missed the trip last year, but plan on heading back there this summer. I also like to drop down into northern Ga while I am that close. You just can't go wrong in that area.

Dennis

 

This looks like a lot of good information. Been playing with the idea of this myself. . .pick me up on your way through Western NY.


.

 

There is a ton of good info here. I have a question...everyone talks about traffic in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg... what's the big attraction there to cause so much traffic?

 

Home of the all American family vacation with thing to do for the kids, teenagers, and parents alike. Solid grid lock in the summer especially but pretty much all year. Food, music, amusements, shopping and it goes on and on and on...

 

Not really attraction just one main drag people coming and going to world mixed in with visitors
Lot of tourist trap stuff in both of them.
I stay at the out side edge of Gatlinburg often and enjoy it I just stay out of town for the most part

 

The main drag is like an amusment park rides and go cart racing everywhere plus alot of shopping places and hotels.

 

Thanks for the info...I will design the ride to avoid these places...now I have to find some nice roads from the Hudson Valley down through the Poconos to the bottom of Pennsylvania...I don't want to ride interstates or turnpikes! I remember a long time ago going through Jim Thorpe...wonder if it's still a nice ride

 

Look into Rt209 south through PA and NJ.