I’m going to second @tsbna44’s recommendation of U. of Arkansas. It’s in the northwestern corner of Arkansas which is defintely getting into the “central” part of the country, but it has tons of opportunities for people with an interest in the outdoors, and with a lower latitude, the outdoors are even easier to access than they might be in more northern locations. Substantial merit aid is offered (your D would get 80% off the nonresident tuition fee, making tuition & fees less than $15k/year from the New Arkansas Non-Resident Tuition Awards and could potentially receive additional merit that would stack on top of that (source).
This link provides more info on the outdoor opportunities of the area: Things To Do Outdoors | Trails | Northwest Arkansas