The Kentucky State Parks

General Butler State Resort Park - Carrollton, KY

It seems like the Kentucky State Parks with places to stay the night are located by federal lakes in Kentucky.  Of the seventeen parks with places to stay the night seven are located along federal lakes.  These are Lake Cumberland, Jenny Wiley, Buckhorn Lake, Rough River Dam Lake, Lake Barkley, Barren River Lake, and Dale Hollow.  Jenny Wiley is located along Lake Dewey in the Appalachian mountain chain in Floyd County.  

So seven of the seventeen are along lakes built as part of the national flood damage reduction system.  Two have a similar setting.  Kenlake and Kentucky Dam Village are along the huge Kentucky Lake in Western Kentucky.  This large lake was constructed by TVA so the Kenlake and Kentucky Dam Village locations may be placed in a TVA group.  Greenbo Lake in Greenup County was built by funds raised by a citizens group and is the only park with that construction background.
 

Five parks are sites of natural features; Cumberland Falls, Natural Bridge, Carter Caves, Pine Mountain, and Pennyrile Forest. Pine Mountain State Park in Bell County was the first designated state park in Kentucky.

Two are sites of unique historic significance; Blue Licks Battlefield and General Butler.

General Butler is located along the Kentucky River in Carroll County. 
So there is a lot of water to see and some rugged outdoors places to experience.