Ride#2 Head of the Snake

Head of the Snake

TheSnake421.com

Ride #2

Motorcycle Ride Information

Head of the Snake is Alternate Ride #2 of The Snake 421 motorcycle experience, offering approximately 39 miles of winding mountain roads through Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Beginning around Shady Valley, Tennessee, the ride branches away from the main U.S. Highway 421 route and carries motorcyclists north toward Damascus, Virginia. It is a shorter ride that delivers plenty of Appalachian scenery, elevation changes, sweeping curves, and tight mountain turns.

The route travels through the Cherokee National Forest along Tennessee Highway 133, where the road twists beside mountain streams and beneath a thick canopy of hardwood forest. One of the ride’s signature attractions is Backbone Rock, a natural rock formation with a tunnel originally created for railroad access. The surrounding recreation area provides riders with a scenic place to stop, stretch their legs, take photographs, and enjoy the peaceful mountain setting before continuing north.

The ride eventually reaches Damascus, Virginia, a welcoming mountain town surrounded by some of the region’s most beautiful outdoor scenery. Known as “Trail Town USA,” Damascus offers restaurants, local shops, lodging, and convenient places for riders to take a break. The community is also famous for the Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail, adding another interesting destination to an already memorable motorcycle journey.

Head of the Snake may be shorter than some of the area’s larger motorcycle loops, but it packs an impressive combination of curves, forests, mountain streams, rock formations, and small-town hospitality into every mile. Riders should watch for wildlife, fallen leaves, changing weather, wet pavement, and sharp curves hidden beneath the forest canopy. For motorcyclists looking to extend their Snake 421 adventure into Virginia, Head of the Snake is a rewarding alternate ride filled with scenery, history, and exciting Appalachian roads.