beginner: need suggestions for 1st backpacking trip

[Kevin Walt]

Hi everyone!

I'm 21 years old from Massachusetts and have been very eager to get into the world of backpacking. I'm looking for suggestions on a trail or location to travel to backpack for a few days. I will be venturing on this trip alone which made me feel a guided trip may be the best idea for my first time, however I am not apposed to completing a trail on my own. I'm open to all suggestions especially outside of the US. Also somewhere that is financially reasonable.

Thanks!

[balzaccom]

Why not head to some of the nice parks just an hour or two away in Maine?  Enough people around to help if you get panicked, but some nice country there....

[Trailman]

Use All Trails I use that all the time to see what is around me in California.

 

http://alltrails.com/

[SPAC3MAN]

Hey Kevin,

You may want to heed balzaccom's advice, and keep it simple! You have so much, so close!!! Baxter State Park in ME, the Pemigawasset wilderness in NH, the Green Mountains in VT, and the Dax in upstate NY... As a working backcountry guide in West Virginia, I'd humbly recommend focusing on getting cheaper second-hand gear, and getting outside & honing your skills. Not trying to turn you away from a guide, that is a good way to take notes... A wilderness 1st Aid course might be some of the best $$ you can spend! If you're still looking for some guidance, I'd be happy to help you along!