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". The 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 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 before 1992; it was reduced to in 2005. The presence of law enforcement on the Tennessee portion has dramatically increased since 2007. 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. Approximately 37
traffic fatalities were recorded on this stretch of road from 2000 to 2017. 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. ==See also==