Hellbender

Hellbender - ride past Fontana Dam on a Scenic ride - add in the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway for a great day of riding.

Depending on where you start, you could ride the Hellbender by itself or as a part of a loop ride. The Hellbender is a part of a loop you can ride in conjunction with the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway. To ride it by itself, you would ride along it one direction, then turn around and ride the other. The scenery is never the same going opposite directions, and the ride is quite different too.

The Hellbender is actually Highway 28 starting just past Deals Gap - part of the famous Tail of the dragon. The Tail of the Dragon is a great ride. 318 miles in 11 miles will surely add a little excitement to your day. If you are thinking of riding the Tail of the Dragon, you might want to add the Hellbender to your riding day.

To add to a really great ride, just ride on southbound from Highway 129 to the Hellbender. The road splits right at Deals Gap. Highway 28 peels off to the left and highway 129 peels off to the right. If you take a right onto highway 28, you have just entered the Hellbender. If you hang a right onto Highway 129, you will be heading toward Robbinsville. The ride through the valley is also very beautiful and relaxing. You can even see some of the whitewater rafters out playing as you ride along toward Robbinsville, NC.

Although not quite as curvy, and most of the curves are a little less pronounced, the Hellbender is one really great ride. Most of the Hellbender takes you riding along the river as you are heading toward Fontana dam. It is not with challenges. Some of the curves can really sneak up on you.

Right before the Dam itself, there is a good little place to stop the bikes, walk the bring overlooking the river, and gaze upon the sheer cliff wall near Fontana Dam. The river is very clear and looks pretty deep too. It's a long way down to the water from the bridge near the cliff wall. I wouldn't want to jump!

I am not really sure where the name Hellbender came from, but I can that a ride along the Hellbender

will convince you that the name is earned. When I was there last, I had worn the tread on my rear tire a little too much. Coming around one of the curves made me realize just how badly my rear tire was worn. Although it didn't look like a very tight curve, it was on a downhill slope, and the tightness caught me by surprise. As I entered the curve, the rear end of my motorcycle did a slight slide toward the edge of the road. My advise - be sure your tires are in good shape before you take a ride to the Hellbender.

Toward the tail end (heading south) of the Hellbender, you can catch Highway 143 and turn Westward. Once you get to Robbinsville, NC, just stay on Highway 143 and you can also ride the Cherohala Skyway. The Cherohala Skyway makes for a great afternoon if you make it part of your loop.

For me, this is a great loop. I start the morning on the Tail of the Dragon, continue on to the Hellbender, and then finish my day by riding the beautiful scenery of the Cherohala Skyway. For me, the loop takes about six hours, so you might want to make lunch plans if you’re taking this loop and making the Hellbender a part of it.

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