Hi John,
My first criteria in ranking a campground is the quality of dog walking available. I have found State Parks to be excellent places to stay because usually they are on large parcels of land, have good roads and often decent trails (though I stick to the roads). Based on that and the places between Michigan and Austin, depending upon your route, here are some notes on some of the places I've visited that may be along your way (and stars allotted out of 5 possible):
Lower IL: Ferne Clyffe State Park (5 stars). Good walks, charming, shady, good sites and facilities.
Western KY: Columbus Belmont State Park (5 stars). Great for history buffs. Overlooks Mississippi River. Great walks, nice sites and facilities.
" " : Lake Malone State Park (3-4 stars). Nice enough, very small. Walks just so-so. Downgraded mostly because it's so far off the main road, which may not matter to you.
Western TN: Chickasaw State Park (3 stars). Great walks but park very old, roads and sites and facilities in disrepair.
NE Arkansas: Crowley's Ridge State Park (5+ stars). Great walks, nice sites and facilities.
Eastern Ark: Village Creek State Park (-4 stars). Don't remember it much and notes weren't very detailed beyond the -4 stars.
Middle-Western Ark: Lake Catherine State Park (4+ stars). Nice walks, sites, and facilities.
" " : DeGray Lake Resort State Park (4+ stars). Another one where I didn't note the details, just the stars.
You didn't ask about TX and since you live there you probably know more about their parks than I do, but in case you haven't been to these two, I'll mention them since they are among my favorites:
North/East Texas: Bonham State Park (5 stars). Great on all counts, but very small so may need reservation if passing through on a weekend.
East Texas: Caddo Lake State Park (5 stars). Great on all counts, and absolutely beautiful setting on the bayou.
Happy trails and have fun making all your plans while you wait for the big day!
Carol
