I agree that a mountain bike is the better choice. I have never seen a hybrid on the trails where I ride. But I have seen mountain bikes with slicks on road rides (even long road rides).

Before I got my road bike, I used my mountain bike with slicks. I bought a second set of wheels. One set had my knobbies mounted. The other set had slicks (110 PSI) on them. So when I wanted to ride the roads, I just flipped the quick releases and slapped on the smoothies. That was a lot easier than dismounting and remounting the rubber. Maybe the bike shop will give you a deal on the second set of wheels and the slicks if you buy it all at once.

SadieKate makes a good point about the lock-out. My mountain bike has lock-out on both the shock and fork. That made road riding a little easier, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. The lock-out feature on a shock and fork will add to the cost.

Have fun bike hunting. Talk to lots of people at the bike shops and find a place where you feel comfortable. Test ride lots of bikes to find exactly the right bike for you. Good luck and let us know what you decide.