Highway 49 - The Little Dragon
- Tim Mayhew
- Mar 27
- 1 min read
Highway 49 in the Sierra Nevada Foothills runs for 300 miles.
One of the twistiest sections we call 'The Little Dragon'.
No idea the origin of that term, every rider I know has called it that as long as I can remember. Likely it’s a comparison to Tennessee’s Highway 129 and this is our West Coast version.
While ‘The Little Dragon’ doesn’t have 318 curves in 11 miles, instead it has zero guard rails anywhere and steep drop-offs into the canyon with a 1500-ft elevation change.
The Little Dragon section runs between Coulterville and Bear Valley, CA with the most dramatic section descending to Bagby & climbing out of the canyon to the Fremont's Fort Viewpoint.
A few years ago, the tar snakes on a hot day were like smearing jello on the road. You didn't stick. However, much of it was recently repaved leaving the tar snakes to a distant memory.
Expect sand in the corners. It’s predictable on the inside line of all the right handers. If you’re surprised by it, you’re going too fast for the conditions.
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