Alabama NewsCenter — Alabama small-town wonders: Orr Park and Tinglewood Trail

By: Amber Sutton

Alabama is home to many picturesque parks featuring scenic views and gorgeous greenery, but in the small town of Montevallo, Orr Park offers visitors something unlike any other – the opportunity to take in one-of-a-kind works of art crafted from the area’s natural setting – through its wonderous Tinglewood walking trail.

In 1993, local artist Tim Tingle, a coal miner by trade, decided to put his creative energy to use by carving faces into the dead portions of living cedar trees in Orr Park that had been damaged by an ice storm. Over time, he continued to add more carvings to the area, which was eventually named Tinglewood. The park became a popular spot for locals and visitors looking to spend time outdoors while enjoying the whimsical environment created by Tingle’s unique vision.

These days, there are more than 50 trees within Orr Park that feature Tingle’s inventive carvings, which range from a variety of faces to animals, mystical creatures, storybook characters and more, blended among the living trees. This creates a magical effect that makes the paved trail feel more like taking a stroll through an enchanted forest than a casual walk in a municipal park.

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