The woman, who had been hiking Trail 8, took a break on a tree branch, which snapped. She was unable to gain her footing and tumbled down the dune — about a 10 to 15-foot drop.

Tucked away in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Calaveras Big Trees State Park stands as a testament to nature’s ability to leave us utterly speechless and feeling delightfully small. Nature’s skyscrapers ...