I have a new girlfriend who wants to do "outdoorsy stuff" but needs to be eased into it I think. She mentioned hiking and camping(not at the sametime necisarily) but I'm not exactly sure where to go or what we should do. I haven't hiked beyond going out to my shooting/camping spot on family property surronded by swamps in 20 years. Since she doesn't like bugs and hates guns, I'm going to save that for later.

So what kind of stuff would you guys suggest to get her (and myself) out a bit more often?  Even an afternoon stroll through the woods would be a start, but I don't know where to go orhow to find out where to go. I'm also hoping to find places nearby so we don't have to dedicate a weekend or more to trying out something she may hate!



ETA: we're in SE Michigan, Detroit's west side, so there isn't much around here that isn't paved.

The easiest way is to start with some day hikes.  I am not sure of your fitness level, so ease into it.  For day hikes, you do not need to buy a whole bunch of gear, so you can give the "outdoors" a try with little investment.  Just bring plenty of water, use a regular backpack to carry some basics (snacks, jacket, etc)  

Try your State Parks or even some local/regional parks.  I am not too familiar with the shore line of either Lake Huron or Lake Erie, but they might have some nice paths to walk along the water.

Good luck.

Another SE Michigander here!

My recommendation would be a car camping trip to one of our State parks. You can still have a lot of modern conveniences because you are only limited to what fits in the car. Take her to one of the State parks on the water sometime this month or the very beginning of October. The views will be great, bugs will be few and far between, and the crowds will be small. If you book at a "modern" campground you will have access to showers/toilets as well as electrical hook-ups at the campsite.

Car camping is the place to start, IMHO. Good luck and if you happen to book at Harrisville for the weekend of 9/17 - say hi to any BFL's and DTOM stickers you see

Some good advice here I think with respect to the state or federal park systems. Even some private campgrounds may be worth looking into. Do some research and plan a day hike on a well maintained trail, rent a canoe and go on a short trip, or some mountainbikes. Many of these activities should be available at a campground somewhere near you.

Also, as far as the camping thing goes, lots of campgrounds have little cabins that rent for cheap. Some may have air conditioning and a little kitchenette. So, you can get the feel that you're doing outdoorsy stuff but staying pretty tame as far as inconveniences.

Don't feel the need to do the Daniel Boone thing or you may end up shying her away from trying stuff in the future.

Dump her now.
If she doesnt like guns, and feels strongly about it, your setting yourself up for long term confrontation.

"how many of them things do you think you need?"
"another d*mn gun?!"

My father in law has a nice old double barrel expossed hammer shotgun over the mantle. It was a family hand me down. The only way my MIL would let him bring it in the house was if he had the fireing pins removed.
This works out great for me. I have guns, and a couple of 6 foot plus pet pine snakes. She hates both, so no mother in law visits at our house. EVER!
WIN!!

You could go fishing. It is a fun way to do ourdoors. Should be several spots near you to fish. It involves a small outlay of cash for a couple poles hooks and line, but sure is fun.

How about Geocaching?   Since I've started caching with my kids, I have found more parks and hiking areas than I ever knew existed.   We even plan on grabbing some while on driving trips.   Get a GPS and go to geocaching.com to get started.   I never knew it would be so much fun.

Google is your friend. hikes

Start with the 10 Essentials and go from there.

As for getting outdoors, I'm sure Michigan has plenty of great opportunities to get outside.  Start with a day hike in nearby park. Plan for an hour or two of walking.  Bring a camera, maybe a book on birds, trees, bugs, or whatever you find interesting.  If you like the day hike experience, find another park with an interesting feature.  Drive there and take a walk.

If that's to your liking, try an over nighter.  Car camping is an easy start.  Drive to a modern campground with showers, flush toilets, and any and all gear you can pack in your car, near an interesting place to hike.  Eventually, you may find that you need the back country experience to find what your looking for.  That's when the lightweight, technical gear comes into it's own, especially in the rain and snow.

As far as buying gear, start out easy on the money, but what holds true for guns is doubly so in camping, you get what you pay for; buy once, and cry once.  You'll buy stuff that you  think fits the bill until you get out there and use it.  Sometimes you just have to use a piece of gear in the field, in order to understand it's limitations.

The most important part about camping and hiking, just get out there and enjoy.

I think I would start with short hikes in local parks to see if she is really interested or not. I like hiking and walking by myself (well me and the dog). It gives me time to think and has therapeutic value well beyond just the exercise value. I like the quiet and solitude.

You may find she is of the type that cannot be quiet for more than ten seconds at a time and that may well bug you while hiking. Or she may want to spend half the time yakking on her cell phone.

You might even feel intruded upon if she joins you. There is no real way to tell until you give it a try.

I'm in Plymouth, here's my perspective...

Maybury State Park at Beck and 8 mile (entrance on 8 mile).  Mountain biking, hiking, and trail running trails.
Kensington
Huron River metro-parks
Proud Lake Rec Area
Waterloo-Pinkney Rec area
Some stuff here.  Didn't click on anything.

K

Another vote for Geocaching.

Many of the Cache's are 50 yards or less off of paved trails.

A $100 GPS some bug spray and a water bottle will get you going.  

I found 9 Cache's this weekend in 3 trips.  Took the kids along with me.  Did one as a bike trip in the park behind our house and brought a neighbor kid and my daughter along.  Found another one on a morning walk with the dogs the next day and then 4 more in the afternoon.  They had a great time.

Geocaching

From there go on some hikes for other Geocaches, and you can later incorporate camping if you so desire.

+3 for geocaching. It will bring you to very cool areas that you would not have otherwise found.

I like the car camping side (although I prefer some distance to cars and other campsites).  Sitting down at a nice campfire with some good food you cooked is a great way to decompress.

I would start real lite with her, maybe some day hikes ( < 2 miles) and see how she reacts.I wouldn't spend too much on it either she might just hate it.

....could just get a new gf too...