Deals Gap, North Carolina

Deals Gap, North Carolina
Tail of the Dragon 2.jpg

Deals Gap is a portion of U.S. Route 129 in Blount County, Tennessee, which also lends its name to a small unincorporated community and motorcycle resort situated in a gap in Swain County, North Carolina, United States. It is located along U.S. 129 at the Tennessee state line. The community has an unofficial population of 6, which is posted on a welcoming sign.[1] The community's approximate elevation is 1756 feet above sea level.

Contents

The Dragon

Deals Gap, North Carolina, 2007
Tree of Shame with collection of parts from crashed motorcycles.

Deals Gap is a popular and internationally famous destination for driving enthusiasts (of motorcycles and sports cars), as it is located along a stretch of two-lane road known as "The Dragon" or the "Tail of the Dragon".[2] The 11-mile stretch of the Dragon in Tennessee is said to have 318 curves. Some of the Dragon's sharpest curves have names like Copperhead Corner, Hog Pen Bend, Wheelie Hell, Killboy (formerly Shade Tree) Corner, Mud Corner, Sunset Corner, Gravity Cavity, Beginner's End, and Brake or Bust Bend. The road earned its name from its curves being said to resemble a dragon's tail. The stretch bears the street name "Tapoco Road" in North Carolina and "Calderwood Highway" in Tennessee and is signed entirely by U.S. 129. State Route 115 is included on maps, and is the name used by Tennessee Department of Transportation for highway contracts.

Since part of the road is also the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there is no development along the 11-mile stretch, resulting in no danger of vehicles pulling out in front of those in the right of way. It mostly travels through forested area and there are a few scenic overlooks and pull-off points along the route. The speed limit on the Dragon was 55 mph prior to 1992; it was reduced to 30 mph in 2005. The presence of law enforcement on the Tennessee portion has dramatically increased in 2007, 2008 and 2009.[3][4][5]

In the media

See also

  • MINIs on the Dragon

Notes


External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Western North Carolina — The counties most commonly associated with Western North Carolina. Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state s… …   Wikipedia

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Swain County, North Carolina — Map of all coordinates from Google Map of all coordinates from Bing …   Wikipedia

  • Cherokee, North Carolina —   Town   Main Street of Cherokee. Country United States …   Wikipedia

  • Jackson County Public Schools (North Carolina) — Jackson County Public Schools is a public school district serving Jackson County, North Carolina, USA. It is headquartered in the county seat of Sylva. The Jackson County School system is unique in the way that is still has a K 8 System with… …   Wikipedia

  • The Fugitive (1993 film) — The Fugitive Theatrical release poster Directed by Andrew Davis Produced by …   Wikipedia

  • Lunar node — Dragon s Tail redirects here. For the Dragon s Tail stretch of road in North Carolina, see Deals Gap, North Carolina. The lunar nodes are the points where the moon s path in the sky crosses the ecliptic, the sun s path in the sky The lunar nodes… …   Wikipedia

  • United States — a republic in the N Western Hemisphere comprising 48 conterminous states, the District of Columbia, and Alaska in North America, and Hawaii in the N Pacific. 267,954,767; conterminous United States, 3,022,387 sq. mi. (7,827,982 sq. km); with… …   Universalium

  • literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium

  • Business and Industry Review — ▪ 1999 Introduction Overview        Annual Average Rates of Growth of Manufacturing Output, 1980 97, Table Pattern of Output, 1994 97, Table Index Numbers of Production, Employment, and Productivity in Manufacturing Industries, Table (For Annual… …   Universalium

  • Economic Affairs — ▪ 2006 Introduction In 2005 rising U.S. deficits, tight monetary policies, and higher oil prices triggered by hurricane damage in the Gulf of Mexico were moderating influences on the world economy and on U.S. stock markets, but some other… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”