United States · TN
Home of the Dragon, and of several quieter roads locals prefer once the summer coach traffic arrives.
Scored roads
4
Combined length
510.1 mi
Driving time
16 hr 19 min
Best season
April to June and September to November
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Scores combine driving quality and scenery, checked against current closure notices for Tennessee. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 22 May 2026
Ranked
01 · Tennessee and North Carolina
318 curves in 11 miles, the most famous stretch of asphalt in America.
11.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · 34 min
Busy with bikes at weekends, heavily policed
02 · Tennessee and North Carolina
Wide, fast and empty, the grown up alternative to the Tail of the Dragon next door.
42.9 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · 2 hr 9 min
Ice and closures possible in winter
03 · Tennessee
489 curves in 12 miles over Iron Mountain, a proper southern Appalachian sprint.
11.8 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · 36 min
Popular with bikes at weekends
04 · Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee
A 715 km parkway with no junctions, no lorries and no billboards, just trees and quiet.
444.3 mi · Rating 8.4 / 10 · 13 hr
No commercial traffic, 50 mph limit throughout
Planning
Knoxville or Townsend
April to June and September to November
Allow roughly 2 days to drive all of these without rushing, plus transit time to reach the state.