Video of the VR experience is available at this link. Use arrows in the upper left corner to get a 3600 view of the site.
Table Rock State Park now offers virtual reality headsets that give visitors a simulated hike up the mountain.
The headsets, made possible by grants and donations from BMW Manufacturing and the family of Greenville County native Tom Presnell, provides a 360-degree virtual reality experience of iconic spots along the Table Rock Trail.
“This new service helps us provide an exceptional experience for visitors, especially people who cannot climb 3.6 miles to the top of Table Rock,” said Paul McCormack, Director of the South Carolina State Park Service. “You get to see the scenic views, deep forests and natural beauty of a protected mountainside of the Southern Blue Ridge.”
The virtual tour features four iconic stops along the trail – the trailhead at Carrick Creek waterfall, the halfway shelter, Governor’s Rock and the top of Table Rock. Like other virtual reality experiences, the view changes with the movement of the user. A view of the tree canopy and sky, for example, is provided if the user looks up.
Using headsets made by Oculus, an industry leader in virtual reality, the experience is available free of charge at the Table Rock Visitors Center at 158 E. Ellison Lane in Pickens.
Table Rock State Park is one of South Carolina’s oldest state parks, 3,000 acres at the foot of a natural landmark off the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. The park offers miles of trails up the densely forested Table Rock mountain, but also cabins, camping, interpretive programming and other visitor amenities.
For more information, visit www.SouthCarolinaParks.com.
Photo of Pinnacle Lake at Table Rock State Park in Pickens, South Carolina in the fall from Getty Images
