Deals Gap, North Carolina

Mountain pass

Deals Gap

Crossing Deals Gap into North Carolina

Elevation| 1,988 ft (606 m)[1]
Traversed by|  US 129
Location| North Carolina
Tennessee
United States
Range| Great Smoky Mountains
Coordinates| 35°28′25″N 83°55′15″W﻿ / ﻿35.4736965°N 83.9207351°W﻿ / 35.4736965; -83.9207351
Topo map| USGS Tapoco

The pass is located at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line

Deals Gap (el. 1,988 ft (606 m)) is a mountain pass along the North Carolina-Tennessee state line, bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and near the Little Tennessee River. At 0.7 miles (1.1 km) south of the gap is the unincorporated community that shares the same name, located at the intersection of US 129 and NC 28. The area is popular with sports car and motorcycle enthusiasts, who cross the gap into Tennessee to drive along the "Tail of the Dragon", famous for its 318 curves in 11 miles (18 km).

## The Dragon[edit]

Deals Gap Community Tail of the Dragon

Deals Gap is a popular and internationally famous destination for motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts, as it is along a stretch of two-lane road known since 1981 as "Tail of the Dragon", often shortened to simply “The Dragon”.[2][3] The 11-mile (18 km) 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, 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. The stretch bears the street name "Tapoco Road" in North Carolina and "Calderwood Highway" in Tennessee and is signed entirely by US 129 (hidden SR 115).

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 (18 km) stretch, resulting in no danger of vehicles pulling out in front of those in the right of way. It mostly travels through a 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 (89 km/h) before 1992; it was reduced to 30 mph (48 km/h) in 2005. The presence of law enforcement on the Tennessee portion has dramatically increased since 2007.[4][5][6]

During the summer months, the Blount County Rescue Squad maintains a presence on The Dragon on the weekends to assist Rural/Metro with emergency calls stemming from the frequent motorcycle accidents that occur there, as Rural/Metro dispatches from nearby Maryville, Tennessee, and emergency response times may be in excess of an hour.[7]

Approximately 37 traffic fatalities were recorded on this stretch of road from 2000 to 2017.[8]

In December 2021, YouTuber CGP Grey drove a Tesla Model 3 equipped with the latest beta version of Tesla Autopilot through Deals Gap. The autopilot successfully navigated the route without human intervention.[9]

## See also[edit]

* MINIs on the Dragon

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Deals Gap". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
2. ^ Ron Johnson (July–August 2006). "Destinations: Deals Gap, North Carolina". Motorcycle Classics. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
3. ^ Coop, Austin (January 28, 2015). "Drive the Tail of The Dragon: America's most exciting 11 miles". Roads & Rides. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
4. ^ Wilson, Robert L. (May 26, 2008). "Blount officers work to tame the Dragon". Knoxville News Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022.
5. ^ "Anderson - Blount briefs: Sep. 12". knoxnews.com. September 12, 2007. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012.
6. ^ Haman, Ansley (July 29, 2007). "Mastering the mythical monster". knoxnews.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012.
7. ^ "Blount County Rescue Squad".
8. ^ "Dragon Death Map". Tail Of The Dragon Maps.
9. ^ DaSilva, Steve (December 15, 2021). "Watch Tesla's Full Self-Driving Beta Tackle The Tail Of The Dragon". Jalopnik. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.

## External links[edit]

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* Google Earth view
* Photos and Additional Information for Motorcyclists
* Deals Gap[permanent dead link] at the Open Directory Project
* Chasing the Tail of the Dragon Reference point article on 2014 Tail of the Dragon (TOD) at Deals Gap, North Carolina

Media related to Deals Gap at Wikimedia Commons

* v
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Municipalities and communities of Swain County, North Carolina, United States

County seat: Bryson City

Town|

* Bryson City

CDP|

* Cherokee‡
* Whittier‡

Unincorporated
communities|

* Almond
* Deals Gap
* Ela
* Hewitt
* Lauada
* Ravensford
* Wesser

Indian reservation|

* Eastern Cherokee Reservation‡

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* North Carolina portal
* United States portal

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Gaps of the Appalachian Mountains

Water gaps|

* Cumberland Narrows
* Brocks Gap
* Delaware Water Gap
* Gaps of the Allegheny
* Blair Gap
* Kittanning Gap
* Goshen Pass
* Hillsboro Gap
* James River Gorge
* Lehigh Gap
* Loysburg Gap
* Mechanicsburg Gap
* Moccasin Gap
* The Narrows
* Potomac Water Gap
* Reeds Gap
* Schuylkill Gap
* Swatara Gap
* Thoroughfare Gap

Wind gaps|

* Ashby Gap
* Buford's Gap
* Carmans Notch
* Chester Gap
* Crampton's Gap
* Cumberland Gap
* Deep Notch
* Diamond Notch
* Fishers Gap
* Fox's Gap
* Jarman Gap
* Keyes Gap
* Maggoty Gap
* Manassas Gap
* McCormick Gap
* New Market Gap
* Pound Gap
* Rockfish Gap
* Snickers Gap
* Swift Run Gap
* Thornton Gap
* Turner's Gap
* Wilson Gap

Passes|

* Appalachian Gap
* Balsam Gap
* Brock Gap
* Buck Creek Gap
* Bull Gap
* Carter Notch
* Cowee Gap
* Craven Gap
* Crawford Notch
* Deals Gap
* Dixville Notch
* Evans Notch
* Franconia Notch
* Gillespie Gap
* Grafton Notch
* Grandmother Gap
* Granville Notch
* Hazen's Notch
* Hobart Gap
* Kinsman Notch
* Lincoln Gap
* Mahoosuc Notch
* Middlebury Gap
* Monterey Pass
* Newfound Gap
* Pinkham Notch
* Sherburne Pass
* Skinners Gap
* Smugglers Notch
* Soco Gap
* Stony Clove Notch
* Zealand Notch

Artificial cuts|

* Clarke's Gap

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