Will be heading to the Smokies again this summer but want to take a side trip and ride what the locals in SW Virgina call the Back of the Dragon. I will probably get on in Beckley, WV and take route 16 all the way to Marion, VA. Looks to be about 123 miles, and crosses 3 mountain ranges. Mapquest says it will take close to 4 hours. Any suggestions on places to stay and things to see along that route? Once in Marion we'll take 16 SE until we can connect with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

If you're in or near Bristol, TN (or VA - the city of Bristol sits in both states)get on U.S. 421 south and head for Mountain City TN. It's a 33 mile ride that takes a little more than an hour. Best mountain ride I've been on. Now I'm no mountain ridin' expert, but I do know fun and exiting and this one is full of both. Oh yeah, there's a couple of "yee haws" as well as "oh sh*ts too. In my opinion, it's better than the Dragon. I've run the Dragon twice along with the surrounding areas, which are great, but expand your horizons and try this one. Someone on this forum has a name for the road, but I can't remember what they called it. Can someone chime in here??

 

It's called The Snake, isn't it? I rode it this summer - and yeah, it's more challenging than The Dragon, in my opinion. And, it's not as well known, so there's a lot less traffic. If you get a chance, ride it.

 

Here are a couple of links to info about The Snake:

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/tn_us421.html

http://www.421thesnake.com/

 

Thanks for the links FloridaFLHX. I first heard about the back of the dragon when I stopped at the Harley dealer in Bristol last year on the way home from Maggie Valley. The girl there ask where we were from and if we had riden the back of the dragon in SW VA. Later in the summer I read an article in the Blue Rdige Country magazine I subscribe to. The mag article, by a biker, spoke of the road crossing 3 mountain ranges. I enjoy planning my summer rides when it is too cold outside to ride the scooter.

 

Guys,

Back of the Dragon and The Snake are two different roads.

In the last year, road them both - recommend them both.

BTW - here is a restaurant a few miles from Back of the Dragon
http://www.cuzs.us/

 

I'm planning to head down to the "Back of the Dragon" this year after the Ride to the Wall in DC. Just to give you some information, I made a ride plan that may interest you. You could do part of it during your trip. It includes "Back of the Dragon", "The Snake", and "The Diamondback". Some of the connecting roads are roads I found in MadMaps and a motorcycle ride guide for West Virginia. If you need help with the locations of the three rides, let me know and I can note the sections on the ride plan.

http://rideplanner.harley-davidson.c...0&locale=en_US

Click on the "View or Edit Ride Plan" and you can zoom in for details.

Also, I have a question for those familiar with "The Snake". Will we be missing much if we only ride that part of "The Snake" between Mountain City and Shady Valley? I was wanting to turn northeast and go up 133 instead of taking "The Snake" the rest of the way towards Bristol.

 

133 to Damascus is a good ride. East 58 from Damascus is a great ride. Its called "the Crooked Trail" for a good reason. Will take you to 16 south of Marion VA.

 

Here's a link. This ride IMHO is one of the best rides in SW VA and NE TN. I've road all of them many times and you will not be disappointed.
http://backofthedragon.com/

 

Thanks again Duraglide for the additional information. We plan to use it all!