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Touring the Cherohala Skyway and US 129 are popular rides for motorcycles, bicycles, and automobile clubs, due to the scenic beauty of these mountain roads.
Tellico Plains is a popular destination to begin and end this popular road tour. You'll find everything you need in our vintage mountain town; including lodging, places to eat, motorcycle shops, motorcycle lodging, and more.
Make Tellico Plains your touring headquarters; leaving Tellico Plains heading east on the Cherohala Skyway (TN 165) to US 129 to US 411 to Hwy 68 back to Tellico Plains. This popular route forms the "Tellico Touring Triangle".
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The Dragon
is a two-lane stretch of US Rt. 129 in at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, whose 318 curves over 11 miles make it a popular destination for motorcycles, bicycles, and cars. The road earned its name from its curves being said to resemble a dragon. Since the road is the southwestern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Alcoa Aluminum owns a large forested area on the south side, there is no development along the 11-mile stretch. It mostly travels through forests, with a few scenic overlooks and pull-offs.
For more info & maps visit: "Tail of the Dragon" is a Registered Trademark
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Skyway Highlights (Note: the mile markers run from Mile 43 in Tellico Plains TN to Mile 0 in Robbinsville, NC)
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- Santeetlah Gap (Mile 0) - junction with Kilmer Road, which accesses Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
- Hooper Cove (Mile 2) - picnic area
- Shute Cove (Mile 3) - picnic area
- Huckleberry Knob (Mile 9) - short trail to the summit of Huckleberry Knob (elevation 5,560ft)
- Hooper Bald (Mile 10) - short trail to the summit of Hooper Bald (el. 5,429ft)
- Santeetlah Overlook (Mile 11) - 5,390-foot view of the upper Santeetlah Creek watershed
- Big Junction Overlook (Mile 12) - View south from the 5,235-foot (1,596 meters) gap between Haw Knob and Big Junction
- Stratton Ridge (Mile 16) - picnic area; Benton MacKaye Trail access
- Unicoi Crest (Mile 18) - Tennessee-North Carolina state line, view of the Tellico River valley
- Falls Branch Falls Trail (Mile 21) - short trail through a patch of old growth forest to a 55-foot (17 meters) cascade waterfall
- Lake View Overlook (Mile 25)
- Turkey Creek Overlook (Mile 27)
- Forest Service Road 345 (Mile 29) to Indian Boundary Lake campground
- Forest Service Road 210 (Mile 39) to Tellico District Ranger Station and Bald River Falls
- Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center and Charles Hall Museum (Mile 43)
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| Visit our page about the Cherohala Skyway for lots of detailed information. |
Annual Cherohala Challenge
Start and finish at the Tellico Plains Visitorâs Center. This 115 mile road race takes riders up The Dragon (with its famous 318 curves over 11 miles) and up and over the Cherohala Skyway. Scenic, rolling, country roads in Tennessee and North Carolina create an unforgettable epic ride with over 9,000 feet of elevation gain. All riders taking on the Challenge are expected to have the fitness and experience to finish an epic ride.
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Reserve your lodging,
pick up brochures, flyers, maps, at the
Tellico Plains Chamber of Commerce Office,
411 Cherohala Skyway (Route 165)
Tellico Plains, TN 37385
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Pick up brochures, flyers, maps, at the
Tellico Plains Visitorâs Center
225 Cherohala Skyway (Route 165)
Tellico Plains, TN 37385
Various photos provided courtesy
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