 Where the terrain of gulches such as Laupāhoehoe, Ka'awali'i, and Maulua was too steep for cultivation, for example, the original forest remains largely intact.There are also protected areas such as Kalōpā State Recreation Area, which has preserved a small stand of native trees and their understory compatriots.Other protected areas include the Hamakua, Hauola, Manowaialee, and Mauna Kea State Forest Reserves,
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, and Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve, all on Mauna Kea, and the Mauna Loa Forest Preserve on Mauna Loa.