A few practical words, ranger to traveler, especially if you're doing this in the glory of foliage season. First: you will not be alone. Peak leaf-peeping weekends bring a lot of cars up this road, all of them full of people staring at the trees instead of the pavement — so leave a little extra following distance, and don't be the one who brake-checks the whole line to gawk. Use the pull-offs. That's what they're for; swing into an overlook, stop, look all you want, then rejoin.
Second: this is a two-lane mountain road with real grades. Going up, don't lug your engine; coming down the big descents like the Hairpin, gear down and let the transmission hold you back so you're not riding your brakes till they smoke. Third: dawn and dusk are the magic hours for light and color, but they're also when the deer and the bears move, so slow down and scan the shoulders in the low light. And fourth: mountain weather turns fast up here — sun in the valley can be fog or a cold drizzle on the summits, so take it as it comes.
None of that's meant to scare you. It's a wonderfully drivable road; it's been carrying Sunday drivers for over a century. Just drive it relaxed, use the overlooks, and give the mountain the respect it's due. Now enjoy the color.
Photo: -jkb- · CC BY 3.0
