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Outdoors: Smith Cemetery Nature Preserve Smith Cemetery Nature Preserve Smith Cemetery Nature Preserve is one of the most remarkable acres in Indiana. It is a tallgrass prairie remnant, and very few of those are left in the State. The cemetery was established early in the history of European settlement of Indiana, and the ground was never plowed. For well over a hundred years, native prairie plants hung on in this tiny refuge, popping up among the tombstones and fence lines. Since the earlier 1980s, the cemetery has been managed as a prairie, and the native vegetation has sprung back in full force - often obscuring the remaining headstones. Walking gingerly through the preserve is like stepping back in time, to an era when these plants ruled many millions of midwestern acres. Culver's root, wild quinine, coneflower, and many other species of wildflowers occur here, as do a variety of native grasses. How to get there: The preserve lies on the west side of IN 63, about 2 miles south of the Perrysville exit. The entrance is along IN 63, is marked and fairly obvious. Parking is limited to about two cars.