The Back of the Dragon - VA 16

The Back of the Dragon - VA 16

Marion to Tazwell - The Back of the Dragon, a 29 mile long section of VA 16 runs north / south between the towns of Marion and Tazwell, Virginia. Climbing up and down the mountain ridges along the way it holds both sweeping curves in the valleys and tight and twisty sections carving through the rocky cuts in the high parts. There is little along the way, a few homes and farms. Most of it is wooded passing through Hungry Mother State Park at the south end. It is a useful road, one of the nicest ways to traverse this area, easy to work into your travel plans. Over the years it has been popularized and marketed as a motorcycle destination ride. The hub of this motorcycle related activity is at the north end in Tazwell where the Back of the Dragon Visitor Center opened a new facility in 2020. Several good rides connect to it and there is some great riding in the surrounding area.

SC 11 - Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway (from split)

SC 9 / NC 9 (from split)

Old US Highway 25 (from split)

Buffalo Creek Road (from split)

South of Franklin Backroads

South of Franklin Backroads

A series of two lane backroads bypassing the highway and the town of Franklin, NC

Moorefield, WV to Williamsville, via Bull Pasture River Road

This is one of my favorite North South runs through this area of Virginia. Scenic, flowing. A nice cruising way to avoid lesser roads.