There aren’t many cliff dwellings that allow humans to explore inside, let alone dogs. That’s what makes Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs, CO so special. Dogs are welcome to join you for a tour of the 1,000-year-old ruins which include more than 40 rooms built by Ancestral Puebloans. Leashed dogs are also permitted inside the Anasazi Museum located within the Pueblo, where together you can see exhibits featuring tools, pottery and weapons, as well as dioramas and videos depicting daily life in the dwellings.

During your visit to Manitou Springs, stop at another dog-friendly museum, Miramont Castle, and grab dinner on the patio of Manitou Brewing Co. before calling it a night at Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort.

Effigy Mounds National Monument is home to over 200 prehistoric mounds built by Native American tribes. These mounds, some shaped like animals, offer a unique look into ancient ceremonial practices. Leashed dogs are allowed on most trails, giving you and your pup a chance to see the mounds up close and experience dramatic views of the Mississippi River Valley from high above. Explore this sacred landscape with Fido and imagine what it was like to be an Effigy Moundbuilder during The Late Woodland Period.

After admiring the Mississippi River from a distance, take a cruise with Maiden Voyage Tours to enjoy it up close and learn more about the history of the area. Then settle in for the night on the Wisconsin side at Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Prairie du Chien.

The National Park Service manages more than 80,000 archaeological sites in the U.S. and Montezuma Castle National Monument is one of the most dog friendly! Fido can join you for a stroll on the paved trail that winds beneath the 20-room dwelling carved into the side of a limestone cliff. Stop at multiple points along the trail to read about the Sinagua people who resided in the highrise cliffside home more than 900 years ago. Dogs are also allowed at Montezuma Well, located within the monument. While you’re in the area, travel to nearby Tuzigoot National Monument and take a self-guided tour through the 110-room village built around 1,000 years ago.

Pines Inn & Suites is conveniently located near Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot, so you can spend a few days exploring the area.

Your “pawfessional” artifact digger will have to keep his paws clean at Kentucky’s Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, but that doesn’t mean he can’t tag along to learn about the Native People of Mississippian Culture. Pups are invited on a tour of the dig site - an excavated mound with archaeological features and artifacts, a mural of a Mississippian village, and other exhibits. Located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the site also offers unparalleled views, and pups are permitted on the 200-yard loop trail where you’ll enjoy wildflowers, wildlife, trees and bird-watching opportunities together.

Spend time exploring The Great River Road and stop by Many Good Things Brewing in nearby Cape Girardeau for a cold craft beer. Then cuddle up for the night at Drury Inn & Suites.

While constructing Interstate 77 through Virginia’s Bland County in 1970, workers discovered the remnants of a native village site. Reconstruction soon began and Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum was built, replicating the original structures post by post and feature by feature. Fido can join you on a tour of the museum and gift shop to learn about the area’s Eastern Woodland Indians and their homes and families. You’ll also see demonstrations on pottery and basket making, arrowhead and tool making, food and cooking, and hunting and hide tanning.

Once you’ve filled Fido’s head with all the history he can handle, grab dinner at 7 Dogs Brewpub where you can fill his belly with items from the canine menu. Then let him sleep it off at nearby Tru By Hilton.

Located in Albuquerque, NM, Petroglyph National Monument boasts one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America. With over 24,000 images carved into volcanic rock, this site offers a glimpse into the lives of Native American and Spanish settlers. Dogs are welcome on several trails, so you can enjoy the stunning views and ancient art with your canine buddy. Fido will be excited to join you on hikes at Rinconada Canyon, Piedras Marcadas Canyon, and the Volcanoes Day Use Area. During your visit, make sure your pooch takes his oath to become a National Park B.A.R.K. Ranger.

If you have more time to explore the city, spend the night at Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town and take a tour with ABQ Trolley Company.

Walk in the footsteps (and pawprints) of those who lived more than 1,000 years ago at Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village. Travel with Fido back to the time of the ancestors of the Mandan, a tribe that Lewis and Clark encountered in the winter of 1804. Together, you can learn about shelter construction, innovative hunting tools and the agricultural techniques of these resourceful people. Be sure to catch the introductory movie before touring the museum where you and your pooch can walk through an earth lodge and view the ongoing village excavation.

You can’t visit Mitchell without visiting The World’s Only Corn Palace. This quirky roadside attraction is worth a stop before you spend the night at Hampton Inn Mitchell and continue on with a South Dakota road trip.

Explore the site of ancient Solado ruins from more than 800 years ago at Besh Ba Gowah Archaeological Park and Museum. You and your leashed pup can walk through the 200-room masonry pueblo on a ridge overlooking Pinal Creel. Afterward, wander through the adjacent museum to see excavated items like prehistoric pottery and woven and stone artifacts. Then visit the onsite botanical garden which showcases plants used by the people who made this desert landscape their home, and enjoy a picnic lunch with Fido.

When visiting Globe, you won’t want to miss Waggin' Vineyard & Estate, a dog-friendly winery that encourages four-legged guests on the patio. End your day of cultural learning with a glass of Bold Doggie cabernet sauvignon and head to your room at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Globe an IHG Hotel.