Spinn Prairie Preserve

Spinn Prairie © TNC Photo

Why You Should Visit 
A reminder of Indiana's endangered prairie communities, the small Spinn Prairie is an example of how resilient nature can be by adapting back to its natural landscape after being used for agriculture.  

Location
White County

Ecoregion
Central Tallgrass Prairie

Size
29 Acres

Dedicated
State Nature Preserve, 1988

Owned & Managed By
The Nature Conservancy

Partners
Indianapolis Power & Light Company

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Although there is no trail, the accessible terrain and modest size of the preserve makes self-guided tours easy. Please read the Conservancy's Preserve Visitation Guidlines for more information.

Directions
From Lafayette, Indiana, travel north on SR 43 approximately 16 miles to Reynolds (SR 43 becomes US 421 at this point).  Continue north on US 421 for 2 miles and turn right on CR 200 N. Travel 0.2 mile to a "T" intersection and turn right.  The prairie is on the right side and park along the road.  Note: no trail exists on preserve at this time.

What to See: Plants and Animals
Acres of six foot tall bluestem grass makes room for colorful prairie plants on the drier upland area. White wild indigo, woodland sunflower, sweet coneflower, blazing star and rattlesnake master are just a few examples. A variety of butterflies also make their home at the prairie. Look for the Black Dash, Black Swallowtail, Acadian Hairstreak, Eastern-tailed blue, Viceroy and Monarch. Bird species include Sora Rails, Summer Tanagers, Little Blue Herons and Red-headed Woodpeckers.

What The Nature Conservancy is Doing/has Done
Stewardship workdays are frequent and focus on seed collecting and invasive species removal. The Conservancy is also actively working on reversing the impacts made by man and prescribing burns to facilitate the natural disturbance the prairie depends on.