A good first step would be to go to REI. They have a liberal return policy if the gear you buy doesn't work for you. They have good trail books at the bookshelves that will give you plenty of well-categorized hikes organized by region and difficulty. Start with a decent daypack, hiking boots, and a basic survival kit (water bottles, first aid kit, emergency blanket, knife). Try out a few dayhikes of five miles or less, at that point you'll rapidly learn enough to know what direction you want to go in next. It's not that big a leap afterwards to getting a multi-day backpack, a tent, a sleeping bag / pad, a water filter, and a stove.