Petros, TN

Nestled in a quiet valley in the Cumberland Mountains, Petros is a small Morgan County community with deep roots in coal mining and Appalachian history. The town sits along State Route 116, a winding mountain road popular for scenic drives through the hills. Petros is best known as the home of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, an imposing stone fortress built into the rugged mountainside that operated for over a century and still anchors the local landscape.

ATTRBrian Stansberry / CC BY 4.0

After shutting down in 2009, Brushy Mountain found a second life as a historic attraction featuring prison tours, an on-site distillery, live concerts, and an RV park. Today, Petros offers a peaceful, tucked-away mountain setting right next to the hiking trails at Frozen Head State Park. It is a quiet rural spot with a strong sense of heritage, where everyday life is surrounded by forested ridges and rich local history, including movie scenes filmed here for October Sky.