This Twisting Mountain Road In Virginia Makes An Ordinary Drive Feel Like An Adventure

Some drives are about getting from one place to another. This one is about the drive itself.

The road twists and turns through the mountains, with curves that keep you focused and views that make you want to pull over. It is the kind of route that makes an ordinary drive feel like an adventure, a stretch of pavement that has become a destination for drivers and riders alike.

The road is well-maintained, with plenty of pull-offs for photos and places to stop along the way. The surrounding landscape is beautiful, with ridges rising on all sides and valleys stretching into the distance.

It is not a road for rushing. It is a road for savoring, for taking your time and enjoying the ride.

Virginia has plenty of scenic byways, but this one is in a league of its own.

A Ribbon of Asphalt Called Route 16

Route 16 does not bother pretending to be a normal road. It climbs, coils, drops, then coils again across the highlands of southwest Virginia, linking the towns of Tazewell and Marion.

The nickname fits perfectly. Traced on a map, the route wriggles like a tail caught mid-flick, and its scenic byway status was earned the hard way.

Mile after mile, turns stack up in tight clusters. Hairpins hide behind fast sweepers, and blind crests keep the next surprise politely secret.

Sports car drivers treat the climb as a playground. Riders treat it as a pilgrimage.

Everybody else arrives at the far end grinning like a cartoon.

Billboards and strip malls never made it out here. Cattle fences, weathered barns, hardwood forest, and long green ridges fill the windshield instead.

Budget far more time than the mileage suggests. Speed is the dullest way to enjoy the Back of the Dragon, and hurrying guarantees you miss the good stuff.

Morning runs reward you with quiet pavement and cool air. Late afternoon, though, drops gold light across the ridgelines and turns the whole drive cinematic.

Either way, the road hands you a story worth retelling. Few drives in Virginia feel this alive.

Curves That Come In Waves Over Three Mountains

Three mountains stand between the two ends of this byway, and the pavement refuses to go around a single one.

Clinch Mountain, Brushy Mountain, and Walker Mountain each get climbed, crossed, and descended. Your arms will remember all three.

Hundreds of curves fill the route, and they arrive in moods rather than patterns. Some sweep wide and generous.

Others snap back on themselves like a paperclip bent too far.

Elevation swings add the drama. Climbs tighten as the grade steepens, then the road spills downhill through shaded switchbacks where the guardrails lean in close.

Passing lanes show up occasionally, which helps when a slow vehicle rolls along ahead of you. Use them, then settle back into your own rhythm.

Downshifting beats riding the brakes on the descents. Low gears keep control steady and stop the smell of overworked pads from following you to the bottom.

Passengers prone to motion sickness should claim the front seat and look far ahead. Snacks help too.

Notice how the scenery shifts character with altitude. Pastures give way to dense hardwood, then open again at the windy gaps.

By the third summit, the Back of the Dragon feels less like a highway and more like a rollercoaster with excellent manners.

Motorcycle Culture At Full Throttle

Engine noise is the unofficial soundtrack here. Riders arrive in packs, in pairs, and solo, from across Virginia and far beyond.

Route 16 has turned into a rite of passage for two-wheeled travelers. Camera mounts, riding jackets, and license plates from a dozen states fill the parking areas at each end.

Summer brings the Rt 16 Rally and Music Festival, with live bands, professional stunt riding, and a lot that becomes a rolling motorcycle showcase.

A roadside photographer works the corners as well, catching riders leaned over mid-turn. Prints and digital shots are available afterward, which beats handing your phone to a stranger.

Car clubs and convertible owners hold their own out here. Sunroofs open, windows down, downshifts echoing off the rock cuts.

Courtesy keeps the peace. Let faster traffic through, stay off the center line, and remember the rider ahead may be braking for gravel you cannot see yet.

Gear matters more than bravado. Mountain weather flips quickly, and a sunny valley start can become damp fog by the gap.

Stop, chat, swap route notes. Conversation flows easily when everyone has just survived the same set of switchbacks on the Back of the Dragon.

Overlooks Built For A Long Stare

Pull-offs along this route exist for one excellent reason, which is to stop you from rubbernecking at the wheel.

Several paved overlooks sit near the high points, with room enough for cars, bikes, and the occasional convoy of both.

Views stretch across patchwork farmland, barn roofs, and ridge after ridge fading into that famous Appalachian blue haze.

Interpretive signs explain the geology and history of the mountains you just wrestled. Read one and the switchbacks suddenly make sense.

Bring water and a snack, because services along the ridge are nonexistent. No vending machines grow at elevation.

Hawks and vultures ride the thermals here, circling at eye level while you lean on the railing. It is a free air show.

Sunset is the money hour. Long shadows fill the valleys, the light goes amber, and the air cools fast enough to need a layer.

Photographers should arrive with a wide lens and a little patience. The best frames come when clouds break over the far ridge.

Take the stop seriously, because rolling past every overlook is the surest way to shortchange yourself on one of Virginia’s most photogenic drives.

Autumn Turns The Ridges Into A Color Show

October is when this stretch shows off shamelessly. Maples flare red, hickories glow yellow, and every curve reveals another wall of color.

Traffic picks up during peak leaf season, so early starts pay off. Weekday mornings feel almost private.

Spring runs a quieter, greener version of the same magic. Redbud and dogwood bloom low on the slopes while the high ground is still waking up.

Summer delivers deep shade and cool pockets of mountain air, plus afternoon thunderstorms that build fast over the gaps.

Watch the sky and the pavement together. Wet leaves and rain-slicked asphalt make tight corners far less forgiving.

Winter is the wildcard. Snow, ice, and freezing fog can make the climbs genuinely hazardous, and crews cannot salt away physics.

Check conditions before any cold weather attempt, and be willing to postpone. The road will still be twisty next week.

Fog is a regular guest year round, especially at dawn. Low beams and reduced speed beat heroics every time.

Time your trip well and the Back of the Dragon rewards you twice, once with the driving and once with the view out the window.

Tazewell Anchors The Northern End

At the north end sits Tazewell, a county seat with brick storefronts, shade trees, and a pace that encourages loitering.

Main Street holds small shops, coffee, and local storefronts worth a slow walk before or after the climb.

The Historic Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park tells the story of this valley, with relocated log structures and exhibits on Appalachian settlement.

History runs deep across Tazewell County. Coal, cattle, and railroads shaped these hollows, and the evidence is still standing.

Over in the community of Pocahontas, an exhibition coal mine offers an underground look at the seam that once drew workers from around the world. Seasonal opening applies, so verify before driving out.

Fuel up here. Gas stations thin out dramatically once the road starts climbing.

Cell service also gets patchy on the ridges, so download maps while you still have bars.

Parking downtown is easy and unhurried, a nice contrast to bigger Virginia towns.

Treat Tazewell as base camp rather than a drive-through. Riders and drivers heading for the Back of the Dragon have made this the natural staging point, and the town leans into that role warmly.

Marion Waits At The Southern Finish

Roll off the mountain heading south and Marion greets you with a tidy downtown and a landmark marquee.

The Lincoln Theatre stands out immediately, a restored showpiece with bold interior murals that hosts concerts and the long-running mountain music broadcast recorded on its stage.

Nearby, the General Francis Marion Hotel gives the streetscape a stately anchor for anyone wanting to stay overnight.

Just outside town, Hungry Mother State Park wraps a quiet lake in forested hills, with swimming beach, boat rentals, trails, and cabins.

Hikers can continue south on Route 16 toward the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, where the Appalachian Trail crosses and high country meadows open up.

Grayson Highlands and its famous wild ponies lie further along that southern corridor for anyone extending the trip.

Marion works beautifully as either a finish line or a starting gate, depending on which direction you attack the curves.

Park, stretch, and wander the sidewalks. Legs appreciate the break after a mountain crossing.

Running the Back of the Dragon in both directions is common practice, and honestly the return trip feels like a different road entirely thanks to reversed sightlines.

Burke’s Garden Deserves A Detour

Tucked northeast of Tazewell lies a bowl-shaped valley ringed completely by mountains, often called God’s Thumbprint for obvious reasons once you see it.

Burke’s Garden is the highest valley in Virginia, and reaching it means a narrow country road with one way in and the same way out.

Farmland fills the floor of the bowl. Silos, split rail fences, grazing cattle, and Amish farms create a scene that feels pleasantly out of step with modern hurry.

Local lore holds that George Vanderbilt wanted this valley for his grand estate, and landowners declined to sell, sending him to Asheville instead.

The Appalachian Trail traces part of the encircling rim, so hikers occasionally drift down for supplies.

Services here are minimal, phone signal is unreliable, and a general store plus a few seasonal stops make up the commerce.

Autumn brings a fall festival that packs the single road with visitors, which is worth planning around either way.

Drive slowly and respectfully, since farm equipment and horse-drawn buggies share the pavement.

Pairing this detour with the Back of the Dragon gives your day a rare contrast, wild curves followed by total stillness.

Pizza, Patches And A Life Size Dragon

Every legendary road needs a clubhouse, and at the northern end you get one built around a dragon theme that never quits.

Back of the Dragon Pizza and Brews began small and grew into a spacious hangout with a welcome center, gift shop, and event space.

Wyvern sculptures and painted murals watch over the dining room, while a life size dragon out front has become the standard photo backdrop.

Brick oven pizza is the headliner, joined by wings and the much-praised fries that regulars talk about constantly.

Live music fills the place on event weekends, and the venue hosts the annual Rt 16 Rally with stunt riders and bands.

Merchandise racks run deep with shirts, stickers, and patches commemorating the ride, which double as proof you actually did it.

Motorcycle parking sits right out front, car parking is plentiful, and the interior stays clean and comfortable.

Staff know the local routes and keep maps handy for anyone planning the next loop.

You will find it at 592 W Main St, Tazewell, VA 24651, waiting at the top of the Back of the Dragon in Virginia.

Driving It Smart Keeps It Fun

Respect earns you a great day on this road, and recklessness earns a tow truck.

Pavement quality varies. Patches, dips before sharp turns, and the occasional pothole show up without warning, so scan ahead constantly.

Gravel collects on the outside of corners, especially after storms. Keep your line tight and your eyes up.

Fallen limbs, deer, and wandering wildlife are genuine hazards, particularly at dawn and dusk.

Log trucks and farm vehicles use this route as an actual working highway, not a racetrack, so never cross the center line to pass.

Law enforcement patrols regularly. Posted limits deserve attention, and the curves enforce themselves anyway.

Check tires and brakes beforehand, since the descents will find any weakness you were ignoring.

Keep water, a phone charger, and a paper map aboard, because signal drops out on the ridges without apology.

Give yourself a full day, not a rushed hour. Overlooks, small towns, and side roads deserve the extra time.

So plot the route, pack light, and go let a mountain highway rearrange your definition of a Sunday drive. Virginia has been keeping the Back of the Dragon quiet long enough.