<P> The 1,189 sq mi ( 3,080 km ) park is roughly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and contains thousands of lakes and ponds , 1,600 miles ( 2,600 km ) of streams , 800 miles ( 1,300 km ) of hiking trails , and 350 miles ( 560 km ) of roads . Two federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers , the Merced and the Tuolumne , begin within Yosemite 's borders and flow westward through the Sierra foothills , into the Central Valley of California . On average , about 4 million people visit the park each year , with most visitor use concentrated in the seven - square - mile ( 18 km ) area of Yosemite Valley . </P>
at 750 000 acres yosemite national park is about the size of what state
Rhode Island