Near Tucson, AZ

Play: Give your dog a break from the heat. Head to the oak-shaded trails of Madera Canyon ($5 per vehicle; www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado), 40 miles south of Tucson. In the morning, dog in tow, stroll the 1.8-mile round-trip Bog Springs Trail; it’s wildflower-flush during late summer’s monsoon season.

Stay: From your deck at Santa Rita Lodge ($; $25 per night per pet fee; www.santaritalodge.com), you and Sparky can watch for the canyon’s 200 species of birds at dusk.