The Back of the Dragon is a road with a trademark and a reputation, and both are earned. Virginia Route 16 runs for about thirty-two miles between Tazewell and Marion through Appalachian forest, rising over three mountains and managing, depending on who counts, around 438 curves. The name comes from the neighbouring US 129 Deals Gap, the famous stretch of US 129 in North Carolina and Tennessee, and the Back is often described as a more relaxed relative, with longer sightlines, a smoother surface and less traffic. Tazewell, a small county seat in the Clinch Valley with a handsome old courthouse, anchors the northern end.
The road itself has a steady rhythm. It climbs through hardwood forest, drops across valleys, passes small farms and, here and there, an open view over blue ridges. Corners come in connected sequences, some tight and some wide, with little room for error if you overcook one. Gravel and wet leaves are the usual hazards, and the road is not perfectly maintained at all times, particularly on shaded sections after rain. Deer and the occasional farm vehicle appear, and speed limits are posted and enforced.
Tazewell sits near a remarkable place called Burke's Garden, a high circular valley about nine miles across, ringed by mountains and often called Virginia's last Eden. Its shape is so unusual that from the air it looks like a bowl, and the cold air that pools in the basin makes it one of the coolest places in Virginia, and the floor is a quiet farming country of rolling pastures and old barns, a pleasant place to roll slowly through.
Tazewell has about 4,400 people, with fuel, diners and a few motels, and Richlands, about twenty-five miles away, has more. At the Marion end, Hungry Mother State Park has lake swimming and trails. October brings glorious leaf colour, though cold mornings can mean frost on the shaded corners, and late spring is a safe, green choice. Fill the tank before the road, as there are no services on the mountains.