What a fun drive, even in wet, cold conditions. I'll definitely be back!
What a fun drive, even in wet, cold conditions. I'll definitely be back!
Less traffic equals more good. I think you timed this well.
Yeah, looks like you had the place to yourself. Congrats. Nice car, too.
Did it with my best friend just after new years one year. Nobody on the road besides us in his Volvo 544. What an amazing place
Love that road!
(There are others I love more!). :-)
Love it!
Yup, love that road. Make a yearly pilgrimage from New York to there to shred it. Perfect Miata road.
Unfortunately for me, my only opportunity to drive it (so far) came in our Chrysler mini-van.
I still had a blast, my wife, her sister and brother in law didn't seem to enjoy it as much. 
Nice car!
Tyler H said:Nice car!
It's awfully pretty! Obviously well loved.
Someone explain to me how with the publicity that this road receives, it is not one big speed-trap? Or a long slow crawling line of cars stuck behind a motor-home. Or littered with dead bodies from the misadventures of the heroes that come to best the road?
How and why would the locals tolerate the aggressive driving? If I were just a normal human, driving down this road in my minivan with a young family, would I be in fear for my life? It's kinda the rep for the road; if you are not driving flat out you will generate road rage.
It is one big speed trap, cops are there quite a bit, especially on weekends. Speed limit is around 30 mph, so easy to break it. Plenty of people have "trophy awards" from there.
Still want to do it one day on my Katana, probably during the week though. I wouldn't find it enjoyable with a lot of cars and bikes on it. Edit: When I go, I will be running the skyway and hellbender as well while there. I will ride the Dragon just to do it, but there are plenty of good roads out there.
NOHOME said:Someone explain to me how with the publicity that this road receives, it is not one big speed-trap? Or a long slow crawling line of cars stuck behind a motor-home. Or littered with dead bodies from the misadventures of the heroes that come to best the road?
How and why would the locals tolerate the aggressive driving? If I were just a normal human, driving down this road in my minivan with a young family, would I be in fear for my life? It's kinda the rep for the road; if you are not driving flat out you will generate road rage.
It's all of the above. That's why I prefer other roads.
The reason the locals tolerate it is because it brings in a lot of money. Even the pictures in this thread we're almost all taken by local photographers for a fee.
Even when there is a death it generates money.
I remember motorcycle fenders hanging from trees where a driver had gone over the edge. Makes for a good photo op.
It's a pretty damned wild road. There are few roads where you're looking over your shoulder into your blind spot to setup your car/motorcycle for the next turn. It's an experience. Yes, it can be a speed trap. Yes, it can be dangerous. Yes, you can get behind something going very slowly down this road. It's still worth visiting.
When you're done with The Dragon, check out the Cherohala Skyway. I like that road a bit better than The Dragon. It's longer, the curves are setup better, it has amazing views, and is relatively unknown compared to The Dragon.
SVreX said:NOHOME said:Someone explain to me how with the publicity that this road receives, it is not one big speed-trap? Or a long slow crawling line of cars stuck behind a motor-home. Or littered with dead bodies from the misadventures of the heroes that come to best the road?
How and why would the locals tolerate the aggressive driving? If I were just a normal human, driving down this road in my minivan with a young family, would I be in fear for my life? It's kinda the rep for the road; if you are not driving flat out you will generate road rage.
It's all of the above. That's why I prefer other roads.
The reason the locals tolerate it is because it brings in a lot of money. Even the pictures in this thread we're almost all taken by local photographers for a fee.
Interestingly, on all my trips there, I've never had an issue with the police. And one of them once had me dead to rights hauling ass at 60mph trying to catch up with some friends. And its not like my car isn't exactly noticeable: It's bright blue and sounds like a swarm of pissed-off hornets.
81cpcamaro said:Speed limit is around 30 mph, so easy to break it.
In the uphill parts I had so much trouble hitting 30mph.
I’ve been on the dragon multiple times, and either going early in the morning, middle of the week, or during the off season is the key to not having to deal with much traffic. That said, I kind of prefer the Blue Ridge Parkway, or at least the parts I’ve driven.
Does anyone else have issues with nausea on it? It generally hasn’t mattered if I’m driving or the passenger, but I usually end up feeling carsick from all the back and forth turns. The only time it hasn’t happened was riding with my father in law in his MG Midget, and he was taking it very easy. I don’t usually have problems with carsickness, either, just there.
I've been driving and riding in that part of the country since I was a boy. I've never understood the appeal to the Dragon. There are 1000s of miles of roads that are just as good, or better, without the traffic, cops or heroes.
Xceler8x said:
When you're done with The Dragon, check out the Cherohala Skyway. I like that road a bit better than The Dragon. It's longer, the curves are setup better, it has amazing views, and is relatively unknown compared to The Dragon.
And Sixgap, GA 180. Even less well known but if you're headed southbound it's a nice quick jaunt.
I like to ride up to Blue Ridge Via 575 and hit Hwy.60 back down to Dawsonville. the first 25 miles is about a 45 min.trip and that is Suchs you could go north towards Blairsville or on to D'Ville (it's only 20 min. through the Woods) from there for me. Lot of people seem to be moving up there lately so late evening or nite is always best/ before the Wildlife Stirs. If you could maintain 40 MPH you would crap, Well make you breath Hard ( That's what it's ALL About Anyway).
crankwalk said:Xceler8x said:
When you're done with The Dragon, check out the Cherohala Skyway. I like that road a bit better than The Dragon. It's longer, the curves are setup better, it has amazing views, and is relatively unknown compared to The Dragon.
And Sixgap, GA 180. Even less well known but if you're headed southbound it's a nice quick jaunt.
Cherohala depends a bit on the car. For example, that road was terrible in my 1.6L Miata. I just didn't have enough power for all the long uphill sections and so was either bumping rev limit in 3rd or lugging it in 4th. Dragon is for small, light, low-powered car, Cherohala is for bigger more powerful cars. In my opinion at least.
Been there, done that . . . in the family Odyssey. Unfortunately, my youngest got car sick and barfed in the GPS case. Kind of took some of the luster off the day.
I grew up near Foothills Parkway. My high school was just 20 minutes from the base of the Dragon, which we just called Deal's Gap back then.
After I got my carte blanche school excuse slip from the orthodontist, I used to go hit Deal's Gap mercilessly in the middle of the school week for a few hours. In the 90's, the surface was a third narrower, more abrasive, and scattered with loose pea gravel. The speed limit was 55, which was a nudge and a wink because that was a LOFTY damn goal to hit in a Nissan Pulsar. It was legal to drive as fast as you fricken could.
I would run for 2 hours and only see a couple of people. The bikers who challenged it then seemed larger than life and without anything to prove. That was all before the internet, when challengers strived for anonymity versus likes.
Now, things have changed. It's a different spectacle, but no less worth exploring.
There are excellent, less-crowded driving roads, but most of them are not without intersections, mobile homes and driveways, like the Dragon. Everything is more crowded than it was 25 years ago.
Tucker,
I'm glad you bought the car and I'm glad you got to experience Deal's Gap.
The Dragon has been on my list of things to do for quite a few years. Finding time to get away is difficult. Now I have an even bigger reason to get there and hit the twisties. Will do it hopefully in the next few months.
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