got to agree with all, so far i like that area better than any where i've been. encluding sturgis, as far as just plain fun riding.
kroozeabout. I know i will prolly hear about that statement. hehe

 

I completely agree, the best riding I've found anywhere, so far. The Black Hills I've done twice, like to go again someday. Rode the Arkansas Ozarks last year, it was just ok. A week later, on a whim, I went back to the Smokies for the 2nd time and it was even better than the first time in '17! Stayed near Wears Valley in '17, found out Gatlinburg is not my kind of area, too busy. Stayed in Maggie Valley in '18, found it to be more central to the rides I like. Going back this year, not a bad ride in the area!

 

Townsend is a quieter place to stay and not near as crowded as Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg including Cherokee. If you stay in Townsend, it's an easy ride to get, or stay, on 321 and take it to Wears Valley. That is the newly completed end of the Foothills Parkway. Once you get on the Parkway, it's a beautiful ride and it dead ends into 129, the dragon. Turn left and run beside the lake for a few miles and you've started the dragon run.
If you want to gamble and drink, go to Cherokee, if not stay in Townsend.

 

We're going the second week of June. I could go every other year, Love that whole area!

 

Good advise! Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge Sevierville and Cherokee are all tourist traps with crowds and traffic. Thankfully I finally got my GF to see the light. No more of those for me!

 

Although this is well north of the tail of the Dragon area, if you happen to be north of Knoxville anyway, one thing to check out might be the Devil's triangle. Going on it clockwise as you look on it on a map is recommended the first time as the counterclockwise route is allegedly harder. I didn't know that the first time I went on it and didn't see anyone else going in my direction. I did see some motorcycles going the other way, only saw one car at all. No photo services at the side of the road taking pictures, no T shirt shops, no cops wanting to write tickets that I saw. It's not constant twists and curves and switchbacks like the Dragon. You have all that but those elements are broken up with segments of easier riding, then back to the challenging stuff so it's not like one curve after another the whole time. Probably good prep for the Dragon, or if you're tired of the motorcycle parade that seems to occur on the weekends in the summer on the Dragon. The times I've been on it I didn't hold anyone up and no one slowed me down either. I could go as fast or slow as I wanted.

This website claims about the triangle

but I've never seen any really bad sections of it the last few years so they probably need to update their website. Granted, some of the roads edges aren't very good in some spots, but the rest of the road is generally okay. You can find edge issues on any road. I generally avoid torn up roads even if they are curvy as my Sportster or Ultra isn't some adventure bike.

https://www.tnvacation.com/local/oli...evils-triangle

https://devilstriangletn.com/

 

If you take Hwy. 129 (Dragon) all the way to Robbinsville about 5 miles before you get there you will go on a bridge that goes over Lake Santeetlah. If you look over when you are on the bridge you will see a house pretty much by itself on the lake.


That is a rental house, link here: http://www.mountainlakehousenc.com
It's a great house to rent. Clean and reasonable.
The lake is crystal clear and you can swim off the dock and you are surrounded by mountains.

 

Just booked our place for June 9-15, can't wait!...already have the bike packed!

 

Have to bring it up again . Foothills Parkway between Walland, TN and Wears Valley, TN. The missing link bridge it is done after 50 years. It will be a sight to see . And it will be a first.

https://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/...-be-completed/

 

True dat.