Overall Route Rating
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4.86 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.86
36 Reviews

"The Snake" - Hwy 421 & 34

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By MCR Contributor (1039 McR Points) on May 15, 2011

Rider Reviews

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GJRonK
2629 McR Points
August 12, 2012
--This was fun from end to end. Aptly named as…
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Guest
October 18, 2013
Our group met up at 8am at the Cracker Barrel in…
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Written Directions

From Mountain City, TN, take Hwy 421 North through the Cherokee Nat'l Forest, Shady Valley, TN, and on to Holston Valley, TN. As a short side trip, take TN 133 North 10 miles to see Backbone Rock.

Scenery

This route takes you from Mountain City, TN to Holston Valley riding through the Cherokee Nat'l Forest. Riding through mountains and valleys with great vistas and ending with a view of South Holston Lake.

Drive Enjoyment

The Snake is said to have "489 curves, 3 mountains, 1 valley packed into 33 miles!" As you leave Mountain City, riding through the Cherokee Nat'l Forest, there are some great views as you ascend over the first mountain ridge on some of the best twisties in the area. The climb over the second ridge is as good as the first with more twisting/turning roads that will leave you exhilarated. The ride ends up in Holston Valley after crossing Holston Lake. We hold our Annual Rune Rally in nearby Erwin, Tn and this ribbon of asphalt one of our favorites.

Tourism Opportunities

Mountain City and Holston Valley have everything you want and need for a great get away, and in the middle of this ride is the Shady Valley Country Store. They have great burgers/sandwiches, snacks and souvenirs too.
 

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Guest
July 21, 2013
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Standard
Awesome road ride it often better than dragon less traffic not as commercial stop at the store lot of bikes there
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3 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
July 7, 2013
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
Nothing more fun than 421! Rode it in '08 on an Electra glide, again in '10 in the family truckster, a Lincoln Navigator ( that's when I knew there wasn't a better road out there because even that was a blast!). Now I am heading there in a week in a 703HP super charged Dodge charger SRT-8 Super Bee, can't wait, will keep you posted!
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3 riders found this road review useful
ThomSS
October 29, 2019
3639 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Other
Rode The Snake for the first time in July and then had the pleasure of riding it again in mid September. What a great ride! We liked it better than Deals Gap. On one of our rides we came out of Mountain City, TN... rode up 421 to Shady Valley,... took TN-133 North to Damascus, VA... US-58 east over to VA-91 South... back down to US-421 (Mountain City) Be sure to stop at Shady Valley Country Store. US-421 North from Shady Valley to Bristol is a nice ride too.
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2 riders found this road review useful