Day 4 Roundtrip Great Smoky Mountains The Tail of the Dragon north to south and Cherohala Skyway

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RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)

Last edit: 10-08-2025

Route Summary

Day 4 of our 6-day vacation in Tennessee and North Carolina.

America is the perfect country to explore by motorcycle. Many tour companies offer organized trips, but there's also the charm of mapping out your own routes and riding independently. There are good motorcycle rental companies throughout the country, and the motorcycles are often the latest models and well-maintained.

We'll be driving along the beautiful roads in Nashville and North Carolina, and this area is characterized by its beautiful, idyllic landscape, with two-lane roads winding through the countryside. You can visit charming towns, villages, and attractions. Be careful, though, as the roads are sometimes of very poor quality and are barely lit, if at all, after dark.

This day is worth 5***** stars. Riding a motorcycle in the Great Smoky Mountains is a true pleasure. The roads and panoramas are stunning, and there are plenty of other sights and activities along the way to stop for.

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Verdict

Duration

9h 43m

Mode of travel

Car or motorcycle

Distance

313.98 km

Countries

RouteXpert Review

Day 4 is a 195-mile round trip through the beautiful Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

This is a day with many beautiful winding roads, including the world-famous Tail of the Dragon (U129), an 11-mile (17.7-kilometer) road with 318 bends! We rode it south to north on day 3 and are riding it north to south today.

We also drove the Cherohala Skyway in the opposite direction as on day 2 and even though they are the same roads, driving them in the other direction is still a new and amazing experience.

After about 15 miles, you'll arrive at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and River's End Restaurant in Bryson City. Here, you can participate in outdoor activities (for those who enjoy them), such as mountain biking, rafting, canoeing, ziplining, or hiking the Apalachian Trail. There are also lodges, some shops, and a restaurant. It's located on the Nantahala River.

From Bryson City, we continue through the Nantahal Forest to Topton. A beautiful two-lane road through the forests and mountains of North Carolina. At Topton, we turn right and continue on Highway 129, a beautiful, winding mountain road to Robbinsville.

In Robbinsville, we stop at Lynn's Place, a favorite spot for bikers. Lynn's Place is a neighborhood soul food restaurant serving homemade American fare. They have a great salad bar with fresh-cut vegetables, seasonal fruit, steaks, burgers, delicious homemade desserts, and much more! Everything is cooked to order to ensure the highest quality. Experience a warm atmosphere with delicious food, Southern culture, and hospitality where family and friends can sit back, relax, and feel at home.

After a short or slightly longer break, we continue west to drive the Cherohala Skyway. This road is one of America's most famous scenic skyways, crossing the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, hence the name "Cherohala." The Skyway is becoming increasingly well-known in motorsport and sports car circles for its long, captivating curves, beautiful views, and cool summer breezes. This enthusiast's dream connects Robbinsville, North Carolina, with Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

After enjoying the series of twists and turns for 65 kilometers, we turn left onto River Road (note: OSM wants to turn right here!). We drive along the banks of the Tellico River to Bald River Falls, a 90-meter waterfall and one of the most spectacular in the area. Definitely worth planning a stop.

We continue the ride along the narrow and winding River Road and Bald River Road through the Tennessee woods to Tellico Plains, where you'll find the Cherohala Harley-Davidson Dealer, a grill restaurant, Iron Works Grill, and the beautiful old Telliquah Covered Bridge.
An ideal spot to stop and stretch your legs. This is also almost the end of the beautiful Cherohala Skyway, which ends just before Tellico Plains. Here we turn right and take TN-360 towards Vonore. In Vonore, we can stop for a cup of coffee at Hardee's and, if necessary, for gas.

We'll take a short drive on the highway to cross the Tellico River and then turn right onto TN72 to continue to the Tail of the Dragon, but first we'll stop at the Smoky Mountain Harley Dealership to pick up a T-shirt or other souvenir from The Dragon, in case you haven't already done so on Day 2.

We continue our journey to "The North Entrance" of the world-famous Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile (17.7-kilometer) road with 318 curves! This road is a treat for motorcyclists. Be aware, however, that it can be busy with cars and other motorcyclists, so watch out for oncoming traffic. Overtaking is prohibited, and you're not allowed to ride on the opposite side of the road. Checks are frequent, and fines are hefty. More information about this fantastic road can be found in the link at the bottom of this review.

Along the Tail, be sure to stop at Calderwood Lake Lookout, where you'll have a magnificent view of Calderwood Lake and the dam of the same name in the distance. At the end of the "Tail of the Dragon," you can stop by the souvenir shop, restaurant, a beautiful large dragon statue, and, not to forget, "The Tree of Shame," which is hung with motorcycle parts from riders who underestimated this road.

The last 50 kilometers to the resort run along the Cheoah River and Lake Santeetlah. You'll ride past the Cheoah Dam, where you'll have a beautiful view. Via Robbinsville, we'll return to the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge and Resort, where we'll share our experiences with other bikers over drinks and a delicious meal in the evening.

Links

Day 3 Roundtrip Great Smoky Mountains The Tail of the Dragon south to north
Cherohala Skyway
The Tail of the Dragon
Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge and Resort
Day 5 Stecoah the Blue Ridge Parkway Gatlinburg

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Tennessee

About this region

Tennessee, officially the State of Tennessee, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th largest by area and the 16th most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest. Tennessee is geographically, culturally, and legally divided into three Grand Divisions of East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Nashville is the state's capital and largest city, and anchors its largest metropolitan area. Tennessee's population as of the 2020 United States census is approximately 6.9 million.Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its name is derived from "Tanasi", a Cherokee town in the eastern part of the state that existed before the first European American settlement. Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and later the Southwest Territory, before its admission to the Union as the 16th state on June 1, 1796. It earned the nickname "The Volunteer State" early in its history due to a strong tradition of military service. A slave state until the American Civil War, Tennessee was politically divided, with its western and middle parts supporting the Confederacy and the eastern region harboring pro-Union sentiment. As a result, Tennessee was the last state to secede and the first readmitted to the Union after the war.During the 20th century, Tennessee transitioned from a predominantly agrarian society to a more diversified economy. This was aided in part by massive federal investment in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the city of Oak Ridge, which was established during World War II to house the Manhattan Project's uranium enrichment facilities for the construction of the world's first atomic bombs. These were dropped on Imperial Japan at the end of the war. After the war, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory became a key center of scientific research. In 2016, the element tennessine was named for the state, largely in recognition of the roles played by Oak Ridge, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Tennessee in its discovery. Tennessee has also played a major role in the development of many forms of popular music, including country, blues, rock and roll, soul, and gospel.
Tennessee has diverse terrain and landforms, and from east to west, contains a mix of cultural features characteristic of Appalachia, the Upland South, and the Deep South. The Blue Ridge Mountains along the eastern border reach some of the highest elevations in eastern North America, and the Cumberland Plateau contains many scenic valleys and waterfalls. The central part of the state is marked by cavernous bedrock and irregular rolling hills, and level, fertile plains define West Tennessee. The state is twice bisected by the Tennessee River, and the Mississippi River forms its western border. Its economy is dominated by the health care, music, finance, automotive, chemical, electronics, and tourism sectors, and cattle, soybeans, corn, poultry, and cotton are its primary agricultural products. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation's most visited national park, is in eastern Tennessee.