Mount Hachimantai and its immediate surroundings have been protected since February 1936 in the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, which covers an area of 855.34 km2 divided into two zones: one includes the Towada crater lake at the Prefectures of Akita and Aomori, the other the high volcanic plateau Hachimantai. Hachimantai High Plateau is a biotope for the cohabitation of many wild bird species and its forests and wetlands provide fertile ground for various plant species including several varieties of alpine plants.