Trail Running

Does anyone know any good ways to get into trail running?

Umm, get a decent pair of shoes, find a trail, start running? Start buying the additional gear only once you need (not want) it?

I would start by running, preferably on a trail. 

It’s really easy to hurt yourself trail running. Hike a lot first and slowly work into it. In the northeast, trail running is more like speed hiking with an obstacle course. It’s super fun and/or really stressful, strat slow and small and work up to bigger objectives. Good shoes help too. 

Yeah, careful with those ankles, the funny angles put more load on everything.  Most towns have meetup groups and other such things for trail running, find one - it's fun!

Cory Brooks wrote: I would start by running, preferably on a trail. 

this. if you are worried about getting hurt, just start on gravel paths or easy trails and work your way up.

If you get winded and start running sloppy, just slow down and rest. Sloppy running will lead to injuries on a trail. 

Ground up, get yourself shoes. There are several brand that seem to be dominating the trail running world, go try a few on and see what clicks. Take it slow for sure, baby steps, alternate between jogging/running and walking, 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off. Stretch and hydrate when your done. Pick up some literature to learn from the experts and stay motivated. Chris McDougall's book "Born to Run" is a must, especially the chapter on running shoes. Scott Jurek's "Eat and Run" and Dean Karnazes "Ultra Marathon Man" come to mind

Shoes + trail seems to be the formula. Usually there’s a lot more hills/mountains so you need to find your “gears” and get good with running really slowly or hiking up hills.

I’m surprised on the cautions about injury, I run on trails because of the forgiving surface. Those climbing approach skills come in handy with the obstacles though. It becomes a much more multi-dimensional, varied stride once you get on the trails but that is what makes it fun. Don’t worry about your time per mile and expect that you’ll feel more worked per mile vs a flat running surface.
I just do it for fun and to stay in shape and in-tune with nature, so take my advice at that level. 

Start running hills.  Here in 'Rado a lot of people try to get into running trails, but bail due to the intense, mandatory hills that are usually right off the bat on every good front range trail (think 700-1000 vert feet).  Get good at running hills...learn to pace...learn to love the suffering.  This will make the flats / downhill will be that much more enjoyable.

Step one: Recognize that Chris Mcdougal is really good at hype, really bad at actual advice or knowledge step two: really short shorts and long hair(think Anton Krupichka here). You're gonna need a real dark tan so either go outside a lot or hit the tanning beds. Step 4: Enter lots of ultras, show up and DNF about 20 miles in, blame your food (or do a Killian and blame bees). Step 10: Get lots of RunSteepGetHigh stickers and other variation of stickers, a good classic is the 0.0 sticker.

Congrats you're a trail runner!

Oh buy either Hoka One, Altra or Salomon shoes, be very vocal about why your choice is best.