Nicaragua, a Central American country, has established two national parks recently and more reserves are in the planning stage. Saslaya National Park, 11,800 ha of virgin tropical rain forest and cloud forest, was established in 1971. Management of the park is as yet minimal, and few data have been collected. Masaya Volcano National Park, 4400 ha, contains an active volcano, a crater lagoon, and lava flows supporting successional stages to the dry deciduous forest. A Master Plan prepared for the area will soon be implemented. An inventory of other potential wildlands is being conducted, from which other reserves will be established. Obstacles to the management of a wildlands system include lack of a responsible government agency, principally, and also lack of trained manpower and funds.