Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada of Northern California covers an area of 747,956 acres (1,168.681 sq mi; 302,687 ha; 3,026.87 km2) and is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness. On average, about 4 million people visit Yosemite each year, and most spend the majority of their time in the 5.9 square miles (15 km2) of Yosemite Valley.[7] The park set a visitation record in 2016, surpassing 5 million visitors for the first time in its history.