Christine Hitt
At the recent 2025 Hawaii Tourism Conference presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) highlighted key initiatives including its Explore Outdoor Hawaii website, which launched in July 2024 and has been improved upon since then.
DLNR manages around 1.3 million acres of land, beaches and coastal waters, including state parks, historical sites, wildlife sanctuaries and boating and hunting areas. The website offers residents and visitors a way to quickly find information about all these things, including making reservations.
It's basically a one-stop-shop for information on all islands, if you're interested in camping, hiking or visiting a state park that requires reservations.
"The site is a great way to virtually explore the unique and varied cultural and natural resources of Hawaii, including relevant information and respecting our cultural sites, pono fishing practices and permits that are required for commercial operations," department chairperson Dawn Chang said in a news release.
The user interface is easy to navigate, enabling visitors to choose between hiking and camping and then picking the island of interest. State park reservations links are also highlighted on the main page.
"With our planned Year 2 and Year 3 efforts, additional improvements and services will be made online to improve the application and permitting experience," said Lila Loos, the department's information technology chief.