Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort
Lodging, food, and the famous Tree of Shame at the south end of the Dragon.
Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort is a seasonal riding waypoint at 17548 Tapoco Road near Robbinsville, sitting at the junction of US-129 and NC-28 on the NC/TN state line in the Great Smoky Mountains. It marks the southern end of US-129 — the eleven-mile stretch famous for its 318 continuous curves, known to riders as the Tail of the Dragon. The resort typically opens in early March and runs through mid-November.
On-site it offers motel rooms for overnight stays, the Dragon's Den Grill for food, and a store selling official Dragon shirts and souvenirs. For riders it is the practical base at the foot of the road: a place to stage a run, regroup afterward, or bunk down between rides.
The resort is also home to the Tree of Shame, a makeshift shrine started in the 1980s by a group of Harley riders. It is hung with motorcycle parts left behind by those "bitten by the Dragon" — a sobering reminder of how technical the road can be. Positioned right at the NC entrance to the Dragon, it is the obvious first or last stop of the ride.
The resort sits at the southern end of the Tail of the Dragon (US-129) where it meets NC-28 on the NC/TN line, making it the natural staging point and rest stop for the 318-curve run — and the home of the Tree of Shame.
On the way: Tail of the Dragon
Shot by the riders who've run it.
Riders upload photos to their profile and tag the road or stop — tagged shots show up here automatically.