How packed is Deal's Gap during the weekend of Canada Day?

油井緋色

油井緋色

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I'm asking cause I am trying to plan a trip with a few friends. I realized that Canada Day lands extremely close to independence day and it would suck if the place ended up being a cluster **** full of traffic jams :(

Would the civic holiday in August be better?
 
You should look at heading to the snake instead. Less traffic, almost none and a nicer area to ride.
 
Go during the week. It's much better.

From Thursday evening to Sunday it's rammed.
 
dyno said:
You should look at heading to the snake instead. Less traffic, almost none and a nicer area to ride.
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Where's that? Planning a trip to Gatlinburg next spring. Won't likely be taking Deals Gap but US441 looks really nice and it just re-opened.
Skyline drive also looks worthwhile (sorry meant Blue Ridge Parkway). Never heard of the "Snake"

Found it. About 150 miles north east of Gatlinburg

Thanks!
 
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I'm heading down Victoria Day weekend. The cooler weather might be better for traffic.
 
As others have said, anytime from Thursday night to Sunday night will be busy at Deal's Gap. You'd be better off doing 441, or the Cherohala, or take 28 down into Georgia during those days. Actually any road down there is fun for us people from the land of straightness.
 
skapan said:
As others have said, anytime from Thursday night to Sunday night will be busy at Deal's Gap. You'd be better off doing 441, or the Cherohala, or take 28 down into Georgia during those days. Actually any road down there is fun for us people from the land of straightness.
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Thanks for the advice. I'm looking into other routes.

As for arriving during the weekdays...I don't think myself or some others can get a week off mid summer :(
 
cknowles said:
Where's that? Planning a trip to Gatlinburg next spring. Won't likely be taking Deals Gap but US441 looks really nice and it just re-opened.
Skyline drive also looks worthwhile (sorry meant Blue Ridge Parkway). Never heard of the "Snake"

Found it. About 150 miles north east of Gatlinburg

Thanks!
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Here's some info on the snake. http://www.421thesnake.com worth a visit. There are some amazing roads in the area.
 
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Do Sunday to Thursday and you and the locals are the only ones there. I have pictures of my bike and only 3 others thru a whole day on the Tuesday
 
cknowles said:
Where's that? Planning a trip to Gatlinburg next spring. Won't likely be taking Deals Gap but US441 looks really nice and it just re-opened.
Skyline drive also looks worthwhile (sorry meant Blue Ridge Parkway). Never heard of the "Snake"

Found it. About 150 miles north east of Gatlinburg

Thanks!
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what everyone said: weekday is the time to go...weekend is useless due to high police presence, and slow tourists.

the BEST time to hit the Gap is after 7pm (weekend or weeknight), as most tourists have headed off to their hotels and the highway patrol have left for the evening. your only concern after 7pm are the locals, who know that road like the back of their hand and go flying through at a really quick pace.

do NOT try 441 through the smokeys. it's a tourist road: slow and full of sight seeing cars. total waste of time.

the blue ridge parkway is really cool, but in all honesty, get's repetitive after awhile. AND it's also heavily patrolled by police. speed limit there is 35mph.
 
BusaBob said:
what everyone said: weekday is the time to go...weekend is useless due to high police presence, and slow tourists.

the BEST time to hit thin a act of frustration Gap is after 7pm (weekend or weeknight), as most tourists have headed off to their hotels and the highway patrol have left for the evening. your only concern after 7pm are the locals, who know that road like the back of their hand and go flying through at a really quick pace.

do NOT try 441 through the smokeys. it's a tourist road: slow and full of sight seeing cars. total waste of time.

the blue ridge parkway is really cool, but in all honesty, get's repetitive after awhile. AND it's also heavily patrolled by police. speed limit there is 35mph.
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Really? I have never been nicked on the BRP.I love the brp but I do it either before or after the school term. Less caravans and such. You do the blue ridge for the senic calmness but for thrills and chills just pick pretty much any road off the blue.

I have hit some AMAZING twisties just randomy looking for fuel. Did little switzerland last year, ok, I did LS a number of times in a row. Bob, who the heck does the blue at 35.?????? I think our bikes stall out at 35 dont they? : )

Hey bob, did I tell you that I went for a 6 hour ride with a newb on a cbr 125? On the busa? I had a splitting headache at the 2 hour mark and I may have hit 3rd once, in a fit of frustration, but it was still fun in a wierd way.

Sorry for highjack, back to topic at hand......
 
theshnizzle said:
Really? I have never been nicked on the BRP.I love the brp but I do it either before or after the school term. Less caravans and such. You do the blue ridge for the senic calmness but for thrills and chills just pick pretty much any road off the blue.

I have hit some AMAZING twisties just randomy looking for fuel. Did little switzerland last year, ok, I did LS a number of times in a row. Bob, who the heck does the blue at 35.?????? I think our bikes stall out at 35 dont they? : )
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Hey, Shniz.

I think it was June when we took it. Traffic wasn't bad, but the Look Outs were full of tourists travelling at about 35-40 mph. There were long stretches where there were no cars, just endlessly alternating left and right sweepers. The faster group got carried away and got nicked, fortunately, they had been approaching a Look Out and had begun slowing down. Honestly, I thought we'd be bailing them out of jail. LOL (we laugh now about it...hehehe)
 
油井緋色;1988813 said:
I'm asking cause I am trying to plan a trip with a few friends. I realized that Canada Day lands extremely close to independence day and it would suck if the place ended up being a cluster **** full of traffic jams :(

Would the civic holiday in August be better?
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the good thing is, the area is chock full of twisty roads. you do not have to limit yourself to the Dragon.

be advised, however: if you've never ridden down there before, it will absolutely ruin your riding enjoyment in southern ontario, as it makes the roads we have here seem so utterly boring in comparison. :(

In all seriousness though, the roads down there are beautiful and a joy to ride. Just be sure to be on your game and well rested. Many of the corners are tight and highly technical, even at speeds just slightly above the posted limit of 30 mph. It's shocking to think that the speed limit on the Dragon used to be 55mph until 1992

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^

....those roads look beautiful.

I've been reading lots about cornering and stuff from both Total Control and TOTW2. I went to the forks to practice some of those techniques (not at speed)...and found two worth while corners. It was so disappointing =(
 
油井緋色;1990975 said:
^

....those roads look beautiful.

I've been reading lots about cornering and stuff from both Total Control and TOTW2. I went to the forks to practice some of those techniques (not at speed)...and found two worth while corners. It was so disappointing =(
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You don't practice on the dragon.
 
frekeyguy said:
Go during the week. It's much better.

From Thursday evening to Sunday it's rammed.
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^ Last time I was at the Gap during the week, I practically had it to myself. I can count on ONE hand the number of vehicles I encountered in front of me on the Dragon, cumulative from the dozen or so times I ran up and down it.
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