Back of the Dragon

What Back of the Dragon does

Back of the Dragon is a private, founder-owned tourism and hospitality destination centered on a 32-mile scenic driving and motorcycle route (Virginia Route 16, with over 400 curves) running between Tazewell and Marion, Virginia, across Clinch, Brushy, and Walker Mountains in the Appalachian region. The route was legislatively named by the Virginia state government in 2019 following advocacy by founder Larry Davidson, a Vietnam-era military veteran who built the brand to revitalize his hometown after the decline of the coal industry. The company operates a 5,000+ square foot Welcome Center at 592 Main St, Tazewell, VA, combining retail merchandise, the Dragon Fired Pizza kitchen, a craft brewery with self-pouring taps, specialty coffee, and lounge/patio space. It serves individual motorcycle riders, sports car drivers, motorcycle and car clubs, and enthusiast tourists from across the Eastern US, with reported 170,000+ annual customer interactions across on-site visits and events.

Name

Back of the Dragon

Legal name

Back of the Dragon

Website

https://backofthedragon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism & Hospitality Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAKAJ

Motorized Adventure Sports Centers (ATV/UTV, Dirt Bike, Jet Ski)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure Sports & Activity Centers (Paragliding, Skydiving, Surf Schools)

SECONDARYTHAJABAF

Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-bike Adventures

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Adventure & Outdoor Experiences (Hiking, Rafting, Zipline, Safaris)

Keywords

• Scenic driving routes
• Motorcycle tourism
• Craft brewery
• Hospitality services
• Enthusiast events

Headquarters

HQ city

North Tazewell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage: On-site brewery and pizza kitchen (Dragon Fired Pizza) serving craft beer and food to visitors. The venue is open 9AM to 9PM daily with pizza kitchen open 11AM to 8:30PM.
2. Retail Merchandise: Sale of Back of the Dragon branded merchandise including apparel, patches, hats, signs, collectibles, and drinkware through the on-site store (5,000+ sq ft) and online store (back-of-the-dragon.square.site).
3. Events & Sponsorships: Revenue from event ticketing/attendance (RT16 Rally & Music Festival, group rides, cornhole tournaments, trivia nights) and corporate sponsorship packages sold to regional and national enthusiast brands.
4. Photography Services: BOTDPix gallery sells professional ride photography to visitors who rode or drove the route.
5. Lodging & Rental Referrals: Referral relationships with nearby lodging properties (cabins, hotels, B&Bs) in Tazewell and Marion, with the company directing visitors to partner accommodations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Back of the Dragon operates a branded 32-mile scenic motorcycle and sports car driving route along Virginia Route 16 between Tazewell and Marion, VA, with over 400 curves across three Appalachian mountain ranges. The destination is anchored by a 5,000+ sq ft Welcome Center featuring Dragon Fired Pizza & Brews (craft brewery and pizza kitchen), branded retail merchandise, lounge space, and self-pouring beer taps, plus a GPX route download, BOTDPix professional ride photography, and the annual RT16 Rally & Music Festival.

Product overview

Back of the Dragon is a unified tourism destination experience centered around a 32-mile scenic driving and motorcycle route along Virginia Route 16 between Tazewell and Marion, Virginia. The offering combines the core scenic route experience with on-site hospitality services (Dragon Fired Pizza & Brews restaurant and craft brewery), a physical Welcome Center at 592 Main Street, an online merchandise shop, professional ride photography (BOTDPix), downloadable GPX route files, trip planning resources, and the annual RT16 Rally & Music Festival. The product ecosystem serves motorcycle riders, sports car enthusiasts, and scenic driving tourists seeking an Appalachian mountain experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dragon Fired Pizza & Brews On-site restaurant and craft brewery at the Back of the Dragon Welcome Center offering locally brewed craft beer, domestic favorites, and Dragon Fired Pizza; kitchen open daily 11AM to 8:30PM, serving visitors and the local community.
• Back of the Dragon Merchandise Shop Online and physical merchandise store offering Back of the Dragon branded apparel, patches, hats, signs, collectibles, and drinkware to visitors and remote customers.
• RT16 Rally & Music Festival Annual rally and music festival along the Back of the Dragon route featuring live music on multiple stages, motorsports demos, motorcycle rally, stunt shows, main street cruise-in, camping options, and food vendors, serving motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts.
• BOTDPix Photo Gallery Professional ride photography service that captures photos of visitors riding or driving the Back of the Dragon route and sells prints to riders and drivers through the BOTDPix platform.
• Back of the Dragon Welcome Center Physical visitor hub at 592 Main Street, Tazewell, VA combining retail merchandise, self-pouring beer taps, Dragon Fired Pizza kitchen, and lounge space; open 9AM to 9PM daily as the primary gathering point for riders and drivers starting or finishing the route.

Quantifiable outcome

• 170,000+ annual interactions with customers through events and on-site visits

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered associate, title, presenting, core and minor.

• Cole Harley-DavidsonassociateGTM or Marketing PartnerCole Harley-Davidson (Bluefield, WV) is an associate sponsor of the RT16 Rally & Music Festival. They host the Kick-off Party for the rally and co-sponsor the Blessing of the Bikes event alongside other Harley-Davidson dealers.
• Black Bear Harley-DavidsonassociateGTM or Marketing PartnerBlack Bear Harley-Davidson (Wytheville, VA) is an associate sponsor of the RT16 Rally & Music Festival and co-sponsors the Blessing of the Bikes event. Serves as a key gathering point for rally participants.
• Black Wolf Harley-DavidsonassociateGTM or Marketing PartnerBlack Wolf Harley-Davidson (Bristol, VA) is an associate sponsor of the RT16 Rally & Music Festival and co-sponsors the Blessing of the Bikes event alongside other regional Harley-Davidson dealers.
• Wayfarer AppalachiatitleStrategic or Co-development PartnerWayfarer Appalachia is a presenting sponsor of the RT16 Rally & Music Festival and hosts festival programming at its restaurant, bar, and music venue located at 592 Main St, Tazewell. Donna Roberts serves as the sponsorship contact alongside Back of the Dragon.
• Uncharted AdventurespresentingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUncharted Adventures is a presenting sponsor of the RT16 Rally & Music Festival, providing motorsports demos and interactive activations at the festival grounds near the Back of the Dragon Center.
• Tazewell County TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTazewell County Tourism (led by former director Margie Douglass, now David Woodward) was instrumental in Back of the Dragon's founding. The tourism office helped founder Larry Davidson connect with Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to pass legislation officially naming Route 16 as 'Back of the Dragon.'
• BOTDPixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBOTDPix is the official photography partner of Back of the Dragon, capturing and selling professional ride and drive photos through botdpix.pic-time.com and botdpix.photoreflect.com.
• Virginia Tourism CorporationassociateGTM or Marketing PartnerVirginia is For Lovers (Virginia Tourism Corporation) is an associate sponsor of the RT16 Rally & Music Festival, promoting the event and Southwest Virginia tourism.
• Spearhead TrailsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpearhead Trails is an associate sponsor of the RT16 Rally & Music Festival, promoting outdoor recreation trails in Southwest Virginia alongside the Back of the Dragon route.
• Burke's GardenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBurke's Garden, a high-elevation mountain basin in Tazewell County often called the 'Heart of the Dragon,' is promoted by Back of the Dragon as a scenic detour and complementary destination for riders and drivers extending their trip.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: The largest annual motorcycle rally in the US, held in Sturgis, SD, drawing 400,000+ visitors. Comparable in operating an event-anchored enthusiast destination with sponsor/vendor economics, though at vastly larger scale and a different geography.
• Daytona Bike Week: Annual 10-day motorcycle rally in Daytona Beach, FL, drawing 300,000+ visitors. Comparable as a regional motorcycle event with a destination hospitality overlay (lodging, F&B, retail) that Back of the Dragon is building toward with the RT16 Rally.

Regional players

• Spearhead Trails: Southwest Virginia outdoor recreation trail system for ATVs, dirt bikes, and mountain bikers. Comparable as a regional motorized outdoor recreation operator with an existing partnership relationship with Back of the Dragon, and a complementary visitor for the same Southwest Virginia tourism corridor.

Others

• Roadtrippers: Road trip planning platform that helps users discover scenic drives, attractions, and stops. Comparable as a digital ecosystem for scenic driving tourism and a potential discovery channel for Back of the Dragon.
• Rever (motorcycle ride planning app): Motorcycle ride planning app with a community of riders sharing and discovering scenic routes. Comparable as a digital touchpoint for the same enthusiast segment; a potential channel partner or acquisition target for Back of the Dragon's route content.

Direct peers

• Tail of the Dragon (Deal's Gap): The most famous motorcycle and sports car route in the Eastern US, spanning 318 curves over 11 miles at the TN/NC border. Direct competitor for the same enthusiast trip, with substantially larger national recognition and traffic.
• Diamondback (NC): A 190+ curve motorcycle and sports car route in North Carolina marketed as a direct competitor to Tail of the Dragon. Back of the Dragon's own website lists Diamondback as a peer route — same enthusiast segment and same self-guided scenic route business model.
• Cherohala Skyway: Scenic 41-mile mountain byway connecting Tennessee and North Carolina, popular with motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts. Comparable as a branded scenic driving/riding destination in the Appalachian region with similar trip-planning and tourism-board positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Ridge Parkway: 469-mile scenic byway operated by the National Park Service, drawing millions of scenic driving tourists annually. Comparable as a large-scale scenic driving destination in the same regional ecosystem, but operates at vastly greater scale as a public asset.
• Polaris Adventures: Polaris's outdoor recreation rental and adventure network, an existing Back of the Dragon partner. Operates a network of motorized adventure destinations, providing a comparable business model and a potential partnership/scale pathway for BOTD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thebackofthedragon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/back-of-the-dragon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Back of the Dragon