Find the top rated dog walking trails in Plains, whether you're looking for an easy short dog walking trail or a long dog walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a dog walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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I rode this in the reverse direction from Taft to Mullan as part of a bikepacking trip in July 2025. The NorPac was one of the highlights of the trip, with smoother gravel than the Old Milwaukee Trail or the Route of the Olympian. From Taft (the freeway exit for the Hiawatha Route), the trail is fairly easy to find. Just go back on the frontage road past some large industrial buildings, and the trail will start up the mountain underneath I90.
The Borax Tunnel is indeed closed, however, it would be very difficult to even access it. The bypass road is very clearly the only route to take, and while steeper than the rest of the trail, it is not long or too steep (6-7% gradient). The original trail to the tunnel is blocked by a huge piles of old trees at the bottom and a large berm at the top.
Lookout Pass has a few snacks, similar to the East Portal trailhead of the Hiawatha. Staying on the gravel road on the otherside of the parking lot, it eventually narrows and once again you're descending on smooth dirt down the Idaho side. It would be difficult to get lost. There is a major junction with a hard right turn and another instance where the trail bypasses the Shoshone Park road.
If you're coming from the Idaho side to start, the easiest way to describe how to access the trail is to navigate to the Fish Hatchery, and then make a 90 degree turn to the left and enter the trail through the trees.
I rode this route in both directions on a bikepacking trip in July 2025. The first leg, we started at the East Portal Parking lot and rode all the way down to Saint Regis. The gravel is smooth and fast going downhill until about Saltese. Around Haugan, the mountains open up, the gradient drops close to 0%, and you're a bit more exposed to the sun. The worst conditions were the last six miles into Saint Regis. Noise from I90 was never an issue, and we passed less than three motorized vehicles the entire time. I'd highly recommend the section from East Portal until the Old Dominion trestle. Would be a nice addition to the Hiawatha for those seeking a bit more distance.
We were on our way to vacation in northern Idaho and decided to stop along the way to explore this attraction. We are very glad we did; the views were amazing and the tunnels were quite interesting. The first tunnel is the longest and gets quite cool inside, but after that, the tunnels are shorter. The easy downhill grade makes the experience very enjoyable. Overall, it was a first-rate experience.
Me and my family grew up camping on Lake Chatcolet and biking this trail. We love making a stop in Harrison for the delicious ice cream at Harrison Creamery & Fudge Factory
I set out at Somers and the first mile or two were fantastic. It seemed however that most of the trail after that follows hwy 93 which is a very busy 4 lane highway and the trail is only maybe 30 feet from the road. Very noisy and you do have to cross over several driveways. If not for it being such a beautiful Montana day I would probably rated this trail 3 stars.
From the jump this trail is unforgettable.
You start out by pedaling the 1.6 mile pitch-black Taft Tunnel, only seeing what’s illuminated by the lights you bring.
The temperature drops. You hear nothing but the sound of your spinning wheels and the echoes of dripping water and distant voices. Close to an out-of-body experience, no toad licking needed.
You emerge into blinding sunlight and stunning beauty including a waterfall.
You will cross sphincter-clenching train trestles and will encounter wildlife and more tunnels, though none as extreme as the Taft tunnel (which you will pass through again at the end of the ride).
The return shuttle trip will test those sphincters one last time, or you could choose to ride the gentle grade back up.
Ok section, kind of dull. Agriculture & cows. Found a bit of shade by a grain elevator for lunch. Several washouts filled with tumbleweeds as you get closer to Lind.
We rode this trail in early September and fell in love with the experience. It is one of the first ‘destination’ trails we have done and it fueled our desire to ride more. The trail has a very easy grade, so we decided we would skip the shuttle bus that takes you from the bottom back to the top and just rode our e-bikes back. Did not need to use any throttle, the pedal-assist was all we needed. (We are recently retired sr. citizens). Saved us a few $$ and was very enjoyable to see the views coming back up the mountain. Highly recommend this trail!
We started in Akron and rode about 18 miles north. Loved it!!!
This trail is absolutely incredible. We rode Oct 15, so none of the local watering holes were open mid-week but will be open Fri-Sun. We saw a total of 10 bikers on our 20 mile ride and a few deer. Trail in impeccable shape.
Back in Kalispell and needed to take a ride. Started at Meridian Road and went west towards Kila. Turned around at Batavia. Homeless under the first bridge and another guy parked truck on trail near bridge. Otherwise nice ride until it goes along busy Hwy 2. Just noisy along that part. A number of folks out on Sunday morning.
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