I have known about and traveled the famous Tail of the Dragon road many times. However, until recently I was not familiar with a similar road also in Tennessee known as The Devil’s Triangle. I am not a motorcyclist or even a sports car enthusiast, but I do enjoy traveling these types of curvy mountain roads.
The Devil’s Triangle actually consists of three roads: Tennessee state highways 62, 330, and 116. With highways 330 and 62 basically being connector roads and hwy 116 being the primary source of the switchbacks and hard curves the route is known for. Highway 116 runs between Rocky Top (formerly Lake City) and Petros (home of the infamous and now closed Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary). In my opinion, Hwy 116 easily rivals The Dragon when it comes to hard curves and switchbacks.
The Dragon certainly has more scenic beauty however, Hwy 116 has an abundance of something that I have a long standing interest in. That is abandoned buildings and “things”. First and foremost on this list of abandoned buildings is the afore mentioned Brushy Mountain Penitentiary. While it no longer houses prisoners such as James Earl Ray, it is still open for tours and even has an adjoining Distillery. Unfortunately, they were not giving tours the day I was there, but I was able to snap a few pictures of the outside.
A few miles up the road you pass an abandoned coal mine. Obviously the place is fenced off but I did manage to snap a few pics of the outer workings.
And a few short miles after the coal mine you pass the old and long abandoned Blue and White Service Station. I can imagine this was a bustling place back when the coal mine was open.
Speaking of service stations, I do not remember any active stations on the highway. I would be sure not to take off if the tank is low. The above are just a few of the interesting sights on this trip. There is also what appears to be a very old cemetery and other items that may be of interest. I highly recommend this trip if you like traveling curvy back roads. You can find more information and a detailed map here.
Be sure to leave a comment below if you have traveled this road and your experiences.