I’m a North Georgia Mountains girl. Driving (and riding) these curvy mountain roads has been a part of my life since I could walk. The over-the-mountain drive from Helen, Georgia, to Hiawassee, Georgia, was a regular route from our home to the lake where we had a tiny cabin. It was about a 10-mile one-way drive from the mountain’s beginning to its end, but it was always hair-raising, especially for a kid. There were few switchbacks, but enough to make me squish my eyes shut. No matter the season, daddy was always behind the wheel of our pick-up truck, and if it was winter and he saw water rolling off the mountain over glistening rocks, he’d stop and we’d fill our jug with the coldest water ever.

Today, I’m the driver and I can take those curves with confidence and skill. I’ve driven this route so much that I could probably do it with my eyes closed (but never would). We meet lots of motorcycles, Jeeps, Corvettes, and BMW’s scooting past us, in a hurry to take the curves in a flash. I let them pass and wish them luck.

Although its not the most challenging mountain drive for those who live to get behind the wheel, it’s still fun - majestic - awe-inspiring - and yes, the only way to get from Helen to Hiawassee.

I had always heard about Tail of the Dragon that connects Tennessee to North Carolina on US 129 that logs 318 curves over its 11-mile stretch. Do I dare drive it? Conversations with drivers and passengers always included a throw-up story, keeping me mindful of which front seat I wanted to occupy.

So, I went to the source, Josh Vandergriff, owner of the 129 Hub (Dragon Welcome Center) and Smoky Mountain Drives. US-129 is his backyard, and experiencing the popularity of this area and drivers who wanted to take on the stretch, he created drives which allows drivers to drive with confidence, safety, and alongside other car enthusiasts.

Josh, tell readers about your organization and what you provide to drivers.

I have been organizing drives since 2018. That year I started the Rennsport Dragon Rally®, a Porsche-specific event, and Mvading the Dragon, a BMW-specific event. Living in East Tennessee, my friends and I spend our weekends on the many surrounding lakes or driving our sports cars through the mountains. There were some car groups that met near the dragon for drives, but nothing for Porsches and BMW's, which is what I drove in 2018. So, I thought I would organize some guided driving events for my favorite cars.

The Rennsport Dragon Rally® really took off and went from 12 Porsches my first year to 220 Porsches by the third year. I then had so many friends in various other cars, Corvettes, Lotus's, etc., who wanted to attend the Rennsport event, so I started Smoky Mountain Drives in 2020, where any car can attend. We have everything from McLarens to Mustangs attending and everything in between. Smoky Mountain Drives and our other driving events really took off and thrived in 2020 during Covid, as people were eager to get out of the house during these lockdowns. What better way to social distance than get in your sports car and drive through the mountains while speaking via walkie-talkie, which is how our groups communicate?

We know there are lots of amazing drives in the Great Smoky Mountains that test driving skills. Is Dragon the most popular and the one to tackle?

The Tail of the Dragon is definitely the most popular road and is what brings most people to our drives, to check that off their bucket list. Once they get here and do one of our drives that average 250 miles, they often say a road other than the Dragon was their favorite of the day.

I change our driving route for every event, as I have a lot of repeat attendees and want to always keep the drives interesting. This whole region is covered in amazing road after amazing road, so there is no shortage of great rides. The Cherohala Skyway is probably the second most popular road, with 43 miles of twists and turns and over a mile above sea level. A lot of people prefer the long sweeping curves and scenery of the Cherohala Skyway to the crazy-tight, roller-coaster ride that the Dragon is. There are many roads in the area that always end up on America's Greatest Roads or World's Greatest Roads lists, but it is the roads that most people aren't aware of that are really some of the best.

Growing up in this Smoky Mountain region has allowed me to explore so many epic roads that are much less popular but even more fun. However, the Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, Foothills Parkway, and Blue Ridge Parkway are all spectacular roads that you hear the most about. One of the toughest to tackle is probably the Devil's Triangle, which is very sketchy and not for everyone, but one of my absolute favorites. 

How many cars participate?

Our Smoky Mountain Drives events are all single-day events, yet we always host one three-day event annually. We cap all of these drives at 50 cars to make the groups manageable. Our Rennsport Dragon Rally® events have over 200 Porsches in attendance, and we do this event every June and October. We now host an Air-Cooled Rennsport Dragon Rally® every April, dedicated to the classic Porsches that didn't use coolant. Our Mvading the Dragon event sold out last year at 100 BMW's and is every June. Last year, we unveiled our inaugural Lotus versus the Dragon event for Lotus cars every May, and September will be the Vettes versus the Dragon, which is Corvette-specific. With our large events we split into several, smaller groups to make the drives safer and easier to manage.

Smoky Mountain Drives is also the event-planning service for car clubs in the area. Car groups around the country have us plan their events and drives, since no one knows the roads and area like us. We do an annual event for 100+ cars from the Fort Wayne Indiana Driving Club for two days. This will be our second year planning an event for NC Stangs, a Mustang Group. Last year we hosted a Chicago Corvette event among several others. We also do private drives for groups of friends, we have done bachelor party drives, birthday party drives, father-son drives, etc.. 

These Smoky Mountain Drives events usually have a nice mixture of sports cars and on average we have people attend from 10 different states. We have had as many as 16 different states represented among the 50-car limit and have had people come from Canada, California and even Alaska. One of our Rennsport Dragon Rally® events brought people from 30 different states and Canada. Since the Smoky Mountain Drives events are open to all cars, you usually see a nice mixture, even though we see drives that are sometimes Porsche-heavy like, sometimes Corvette heavy, and so forth. We can also see some wild cars like a McLaren 765lt, Ferrari F12, and even an Ultima GT-R that most people didn't know what it was. These Smoky Mountain Drives events are where you can have a Miata driving alongside a Lamborghini, there is a spot for every sports car

What's the worst wreck you've seen or have any vehicles wrecked during any of your drives?  

The Tail of the Dragon is well known as a very dangerous stretch of road. Owning a store just miles from the Dragon, we unfortunately see and hear about plenty of accidents. During the busy season it is not uncommon to hear of some sort of accident every day. We have seen cars catch on fire, motorcycles being pulled up from the side of a mountain, and there is a helicopter landing pad three miles from the start of the dragon for UT Medical Center's LifeStar, which is called in more than we would like. Majority of the serious accidents are motorcycle related. When you get a road with 318 curves in 11 miles, and get riders that come from states like Florida and Ohio where they rarely encounter curvy roads, most newcomers are in for a huge shock and are often overwhelmed.

 What are the top three rules for drivers? 

We have a very thorough Driver Meeting before every drive, as safety is always the top priority. The #1 rule on these roads is to stay in your lane. People trying to cut corners or driving above their ability and crossing the double yellow is the leading cause for serious injuries on these roads. The local saying is "keep it between the mustard and the mayo", the yellow line dividing the lanes and the white line on the shoulder. If everyone properly stayed in their lane, there would be very few incidents. 

The #2 rule is to ride or drive within your ability. Trying to go too fast without the ability is what often causes people to go off the shoulder or over the double yellow, crossing into the opposite lane where collisions happen. With so many blind corners, you can never anticipate what may be coming around the next turn. 

The #3 rule is to focus on the road ahead and your surroundings. This is not a road you can drive casually and play with your radio, check your cell phone, etc. This road requires complete concentration, so watch the road ahead and be looking as far ahead as possible. You want to be aware of your surroundings and check your mirror to see who is following behind. There are 104 paved pull-offs on the 11 miles of the dragon alone, and plenty of pull-offs and scenic overlooks on the Cherohala Skyway, Foothills Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway. These pull-offs are there for help as you may need to pull over as you are holding up traffic, you may have a sick passenger, you may encounter issues with your car or motorcycle, so don't hesitate to use them when needed. 

Why do you organize? Why do the drivers do this? Are there any people who should NOT do it? 

I am fortunate to grow up in East Tennessee and be surrounded by the greatest driving roads in America. I enjoy showing our unbelievable roads and breathtaking mountains to others and sharing my passion for sports cars and driving. Sports car and motorcycle enthusiasts are always looking for fantastic roads and the thrill of driving or riding these roads is an extraordinary experience you won't forget. 

The Tail of the Dragon is a public highway with a speed limit of 30 mph. As mentioned earlier, this stretch of 11 miles has 104 paved pull-offs, so it is something I think everyone should see for themselves. Of course, those with vertigo or equilibrium issues may find this roller-coaster road to be too much. If you have passengers that get car sick, this road will not be a good option without motion-sickness medication. 

Meet Brian Johnson, Charlottesville, Virginia, a long-time Dragon fan.

Photos courtesy Brian Johnson

When did you first find the Tail of the Dragon?

I first discovered Tail of the Dragon in the fall of 2018 when I stumbled upon it at night on a drive to Fontana Resort. It was the perfect road to challenge myself and to learn the limits of what my Porsche could do. Since that time, I’ve been making the 7-hour drive about 5 times per year to participate in various road rallies in the area. I usually choose to drive with Rennsport Dragon Rally (a Porsche group) or with Smoky Mountain Rally. It’s a better experience when you are with a group of like-minded drivers.

Tell us about your vehicle.  

I currently drive a 2017 Porsche Cayman S, and my girlfriend has a 2007 Porsche 911. I also have a 2004 Corvette Z06. All were purchased with the intention that they would be driven on the Dragon and surrounding roads. We alternate our cars depending upon the group that we are driving with. I’ve upgraded my Porsche once since 1018, and another upgrade is probably in the works.

 How does a driver conquer this stretch of road?

Tail of the Dragon is not about top speed; it’s about developing a rhythm that allows you to handle the curves at the fastest possible pace while maintaining control. You can’t “buy your way” into a fast time on the Dragon. There are plenty of modest cars with supremely talented drivers who will soon show you that skill and experience will win out over horsepower and expensive sports cars. To conquer the Dragon, remember that “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast”. It’s about momentum, not raw acceleration and braking.

 As a driver, have you ever lost control?

I haven’t lost control, but I have seen a few drivers who lost their car due to overconfidence or a momentary lapse. I like to drive in a group of 10-20 cars with individuals that I know from prior trips. That increases my comfort level. We communicate by radio and hand signal, and we don’t tolerate drivers in our group who act recklessly. I haven’t questioned why I drive the Dragon, but my passengers probably have!

 Is this the best road to test your driving skills and control?

It’s hard to say whether the Dragon is the single best road in the world. But what I can say is that there are so many wonderful roads within a 75-mile radius of the Dragon. Venture beyond the Dragon and you will experience a great variety of them - everything from sweeping routes up and down a mountain to winding country roads with little traffic and no margin for error. 

Smoky Mountain Drives 2025 Drives

March 22 - April 26 - May 24 - June 21 - July 26 - August 16 - September 20 - October 18 - November 7-9

US 129, 4371 Calderwood Highway, Maryville, TN 37801
Welcome Center open Wednesday - Sunday

Visit the website for Smoky Mountain Drives special events and event registration. Keep in mind that fall drives often are extremely popular, so plan ahead.