Where to hike with a dog near Libby, Montana: Saint Paul Lake Trail

This trail had the dog so high on smells she was more excited on the drive back than before.

Driving back from the Saint Paul Lake trail near Libby, Mont.

And no wonder: there were more signs here warning "This is bear country" than I had ever seen on a trail, so the dog must have been sniffing up some of the most intriguing smells she ever encountered. (Not as exciting as her first roll in seagull poop, but close!)

The trail to Saint Paul Lake begins off a long, bumpy, gravel road called Forest Road 407 in the Kootenai National Forest near the Idaho-Montana border. I chose this trail because we could easily fit it into our drive from Sandpoint, ID., to Kalispell, MT. And I'm very glad I did, though I definitely regret not having enough time to hike the four miles to Saint Paul Lake.

But no matter how many miles of this trail in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness you hike on, it is a glorious escape into dense forest that frees your dog of their leash and you of civilization. (We saw another vehicle in the parking lot, but met no other people on our visit. Or bears, fortunately.)

The guidebook that directed me to this trail, "Best Hikes with Dogs in the Inland Northwest," described its charms perfectly: "A scenic, uncrowded lake, a well-groomed trail that hugs a bubbling creek for almost its entirety, and miles of cool, damp old-growth forest -- what more could you ask for?"

Words to the wise: the trail is mostly uphill to start and narrow in parts, so not for people looking for a wide and flat stroll. Also, the drive to and from will cover your vehicle in dirt. There is a pit toilet at the parking lot, but no water available for humans.

About the only sign on the trail not warning users of bears!