City to city
Five hours direct, or the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Cherohala Skyway and the Dragon across two unforgettable days.
Direct route
292 mi
Scenic route
490.9 mi
Days to enjoy it
3 days
Great roads on route
3
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. Distances are planning estimates. The road list is drawn from the scored Atlas library inside this corridor. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 24 June 2026
The detour
The fast way
Motorway and trunk road for most of it, one fuel stop, nothing you will remember. Useful when the drive is a means to an end.
The good way
About 3 hr 19 min of that is spent on the great roads themselves, which is where the whole difference lies.
On the way
01 · United States
318 curves in 11 miles, the most famous stretch of asphalt in America.
11.2 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
02 · United States
Wide, fast and empty, the grown up alternative to the Tail of the Dragon next door.
42.9 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
03 · United States
489 curves in 12 miles over Iron Mountain, a proper southern Appalachian sprint.
11.8 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
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