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.
www.DaveMossTuning.com42 psi rear and 36 psi front have been the recommended tire pressures for every motorcycle tire brand and model since the dawn of time....
111 miles of awesome expert level twisty mountain backroads. Definitely NOT recommended for new riders or those who are not experienced with mountain riding. All paved. Avoids almost all the towns, very little time on major roads.
On Facebook I saw an amazing video recorded by a GS rider of this road.
From the Facebook "Where the Locals Ride" Group:
"Unmarked one lane road which connects VA. state highway 40 with the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd and Tuggles Gap. Awesome twists and turns and incredible scenery."