Back of the Dragon: what to know before you drive it
Back of the Dragon is the nickname for Virginia State Route 16 between Marion and Tazewell in southwest Virginia: about 32 miles with 438 curves, crossing three mountain ridges. It is longer and more open than the Tail of the Dragon, with far less traffic.
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What it's like
VA 16 climbs and descends three ridges between Marion and Tazewell, so it comes in sections: a tight climb, a descent, a stretch of valley, and again. It is quiet compared with the Tail of the Dragon, which is a large part of its appeal.
Marion, just off I-81, is the usual starting point; Tazewell is at the north end.
When to go
Spring through fall. Shaded sections hold ice in winter, and the ridge tops can be in cloud.
Loops around it
Drivers have mapped several loops that use VA 16 as the spine and return on parallel roads, so you don't have to drive the same road back. They are listed below with their measured corners.
Mapped Back of the Dragon routes
Curated drives first, then by how much they bend.
Questions
- Where does the Back of the Dragon start?
- In Marion, Virginia, just off I-81. It runs north on VA 16 to Tazewell.
- Is the Back of the Dragon the same as the Tail of the Dragon?
- No. The Tail of the Dragon is US 129 at Deals Gap on the North Carolina–Tennessee line. Back of the Dragon is VA 16 in southwest Virginia, about four hours to the north-east.
Keep reading
- Tail of the Dragon: what to know before you drive itUS 129's Tail of the Dragon packs 318 curves into 11 miles at Deals Gap on the North Carolina–Tennessee line. Where it starts, the speed limit, when to go, and what to drive next.
- Blue Ridge Parkway: what to know before you drive itThe Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. Speed limit, closures, the best sections, and the twistier roads that leave it.