Carlson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and educated at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and represented the university and state of Arkansas in the 1964 Miss America Pageant, finishing first Runner up to Vonda Kay Van Dyke.

Carlson also guest starred in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1967), Mission: Impossible (1971), Bonanza (1973), Starsky and Hutch (1976–77) with David Soul, Centennial (1978), The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979), Hill Street Blues (1983), Hotel (1987). Her last appearance was in the film Out of Ashes (2013). She has since turned her focus from acting to directing and screenwriting.

Carlson was cast as Sarah Ewing in the 1970 episode "The Mezcla Man", one of the last segments of the syndicated western series Death Valley Days, hosted by Dale Robertson. Jesse Pearson played Jess Ivy, a young man who wants to propose marriage to Sarah but hesitates because of his lack of financial footing. He decides to look for hidden gold.

Carlson started her career in Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller variety shows, Laugh In, and The Hollywood Palace. She also appeared in television series and films, including The Candidate (1972) with Robert Redford, and The Octagon (1980) with Chuck Norris. In television, Carlson played Nancy Scotfield in seven episodes of the soap opera Dallas (1986) and Sarah Hallisey in twelve episodes of In the Heat of the Night. She was also a series regular in American Dream with Stephen Macht, The Yellow Rose with David Soul and Cybill Shepherd, and Two Marriages with Michael Murphy.